THIS was especially true of medieval Europe. Missionaries went abroad with merchants to spread the word of God. Religion also played a role closer to home; the quote: "...Know that we, at the prompting of God and for the health of our souls... for the glory of the holy Church and the improvement of our kingdom, have freely and by our good will given and granted to the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, and all our kingdom these liberties written below shall be forever retained in our kingdom of England." This is taken from the Magna Carta, which then goes on to say: "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned or deprived of his free apartment or his liberties or free customs, or outlawed or exiled or in any way ruined, nor will we go against such a man or send against him except by lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land To no one will we sell or deny right or justice As you can see religion also took part in the affairs of the people According to the written Treaty to a devoted man by Walter Hilton there are three types of life: the active life, the contemplative life and the mixed life. The mixed life is described in the following quote from the aforementioned book: "THE third type of life, which is called mixed life, belongs to the Prelates of the Holy Church and to the pastors and curates who have responsibility and superiority over other men and women, to teach and govern them, both as regards their bodies and as regards their souls, and mainly to animate and guide them in fulfillment of both corporal and spiritual acts of mercy towards their Christian brothers that sometimes it falls to these men of the mixed life to use the works of mercy in the active life, in the help and sustenance of t......middle of paper. .....o Japanese merchants also extended into entire communities of Japanese merchants set up shop in the Philippines, Siam, Taiwan, and other islands. The above quote is from The History of Japan by Louis G. Perez and supports my earlier statement that they were tolerated. THE above reasons support my thesis that medieval Europe and Japan were influenced to be friendlier to others and to change. Trade encouraged interactions between other countries, and religion encouraged them to approach others to learn more or to spread their religion. If it were not for the religious and economic influence on medieval Europe and Japan, they would not have become what they are today. Works Cited The History of Japan Feudalism in Japan Feudalism in Europe Treatise Written for a Devout Man by Walter Hilton Magna Carta