While Innocent was dreaming of a vast Christian Empire with the Pope at its head to enforce justice and religion on his under-kings, John believed that the Papal protection would enable him to rule as tyrannically as he would.

The thunders of the Papacy were to be ever at hand for his protection, as the armies of England are at hand to protect the vileness and oppression of a Turkish Sultan or a Nizam of Hyderabad.

His envoys were already at Rome, pleading for a condemnation of the Charter.

The after action of the Papacy shows that Innocent was moved by no hostility to English freedom.
But he was indignant that a matter which might have been brought before his court of appeal as overlord should have been dealt with by armed revolt, and in this crisis both his imperious pride and the legal tendency of his mind swayed him to the side of the king who submitted to his justice.

He annulled the Great Charter by a bull in August, and at the close of the year excommunicated the barons.
[Sidenote: Landing of Lewis] His suspension of Stephen Langton from the exercise of his office as Primate was a more fatal blow.