The setting up of spiritual or Church courts, by Lanfranc with the approval of king William 1, that dealt with ecclesiastical cases such that the law is based "Gods will" as written in the holy scriptures, meant that the determination of the ethical, governance as well as decision making of the Church to which members of the Church are to abide to are to be made. The ecclesiastical court was also adept at interpreting canon law and the judges are appointed by bishops and were led by priests
As such the Church court possessed far reaching powers in several European areas in the middle ages before the nation states developed
They had more in common than different. The Samurai were "owned" by Damyos, and the Knights were "owned" by Lords. They both fought for there Damyos or Lords, and acted as "mercenaries".
