, ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁end owed ▁pre b ends ▁had ▁been ▁developed ▁that ▁left ▁ecc les iast ical ▁positions ▁independent ▁of ▁the ▁bishop . ▁During ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Henry ▁II , ▁the ▁rising ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁Gra il ▁myth ▁stories ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁increasing ly ▁central ▁role ▁of ▁commun ion ▁in ▁Church ▁rit uals . ▁Tol er ance ▁of ▁comm end atory ▁benef ices ▁permitted ▁the ▁well - connected ▁to ▁hold ▁multiple ▁offices ▁simply ▁for ▁their ▁spiritual ▁and ▁temporal ▁reven ues , ▁sub cont ract ing ▁the ▁position ' s ▁duties ▁to ▁lower ▁cler ics ▁or ▁simply ▁tre ating ▁them ▁as ▁s ine c ures . ▁The ▁importance ▁of ▁such ▁reven ues ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁In vest iture ▁Cris is , ▁which ▁er upt ed ▁in ▁Britain ▁over ▁the ▁fight ▁occasion ed ▁by ▁King ▁John ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁accept ▁Pope ▁In noc ent   III ' s ▁nom ine e ▁as ▁arch bishop ▁of ▁Can ter bury . ▁England ▁was ▁placed ▁under ▁inter dict ▁in ▁ 1 2 0 8 ▁and ▁John ▁ex communic ated ▁the ▁following ▁year ; ▁he ▁enjoyed ▁the ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁the ▁church ' s ▁reven ues ▁but ▁finally ▁rel ented ▁ow ing ▁to ▁domestic ▁and ▁foreign ▁riv als ▁strength ened ▁by ▁pap al ▁opposition . ▁Although ▁John ▁quickly ▁ren eg ed ▁on ▁his ▁pay ments , ▁In noc ent ▁there after ▁took ▁his ▁side ▁and ▁round ly ▁condem ned ▁the ▁Mag na ▁Cart a , ▁calling ▁it ▁" not ▁only ▁shame ful