River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-06-15
SOMETHING NEW.
The True story of the Knights Templar.

The True Story of the knights Templar.
Something over 800 years ago--and
the world has moved fast in the centu-
ries since then-two French knights,
joining with them seven others, start
ed out as an escort to pilgrims to Jeru-
salem. Baldwin H., the then King of
the crusading occupation Of that an
cient town, welcomed them warmly
and gave them lodgings mean the sup
posed site of the temple of Solomon,
of Ezra and of Herod. Their numbers
increased until, finally, ST. Bernard, of
Clairvaux, drew up for them rules of
life, and they became those curious
complex, monastic soldiers. In the
year 1921. after fight of nearly two
hundred years, they were driven from
Acre, their last hold in Syria, with
frightful slaue liter, and landed in the
Island of Cyprus with the Knights of
st. John. All over Europe at this
time the order was lush with stately
houses Of eonvoeation and immense
wealth.
The Kings of Europe about then were
the Fair, of Fance, having persuaded
Pope Clement V. to issue a bull au-
thorizing an inquiry into the morals
and purposes of the order. took at once
occasion to squeeze out of the unfoT-
tunate knights all that the terrible
torture of the day could bring forth.
Says an ancient chronicle The Grand
Master Of the ci-devant order of the
Templar and three other Templars, the
Visitor of France and the Grand Mas
tiers of Normandy and Aquitaine. the
right of pronouncing defnitive judg-
ment against whom the Pope had re-
served to himself, appeared before the
Archbishop of Sens and an assembly of
other prelates and doctors of divine
and cannon law, convened for this
special purpose at Parasitic four
above named then having publicly and
solemnly acknowledged the crimes
with which they were accused. were
condemned to be burnt at the stake,
and were accordingly with all due So
lemnity, roasted to death.
Between his ARES. and execution
Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the
Templars, as weak as CTameT, under
Mary of England, first, in fear of pain
OF tortue, told or attempted to tell all
that he knew, and yet when the stake 4
faced him died as game as only men
car die. The story of the martyr was
this, and how true the traditions of
the Templars are, and how true the
claims of those who use their name
to-day is to wear it, can only be known
by those who can see in the old, old
story of centuries back a story that
they can understand.
One of the witnesses, templar un.
der torture, deposes that when he re.
fused to deny God and spit upon the
cross, Rayneud de Brignolless said to
him, laughingy: Compose yourself,
is is only farce" In the important
deposition of the preceptor of Aqui-
taine there are given the details of
ceremony of the time, together with
an explanation of its origin. The
knight who initiated the candidate,
having first invested him with th
cloak of the order, presented him with
a cruelty on a Mass book, and told
him to deny Christ nailed to the Cross.
When N great terror he refused,
crying out Alas, my God, why should
| do so | will in no wise do il, do
it without fear" replied the other.
81 swear by my soul that you shall
sustain no injury either in soul or con-
science, for it is a ceremony of the or
der, introduced by a wicked Grand
Master, who, being taken prisoner by
Soldan, could obtain his liberty only
hts 20 IA 20 III
candidates for admission into the or
der adjure Christ after this fashion,
which has been done ever since, and
so you may well do it," And then de
ponent would not do il, but rested the
more, and asked foT his uncle and 9TH
er worthy persons who had brought
him there But the other replied
"They are gone and you must do what
7 order YOU And still he would not.
Seeing his determination the Knight
then said 10 him "If YOU will take
your oath on Gods Holy Gospel that
You will tell all the brothers OF the or
der that You have done all that / have
directed J will dispense with your GO
ing through the ceremony And the
deponent gave his promise and oath.
Being asked If he had ordained any
brothers, he said he had entered few
on account Of this irreverent act,
which was essential to their reception.
However. he said that he had made
five knights. When asked whether he
had made them adlure Christ, he swore
that he had spared them in the same
way IN which he himself had been
spared, and one day, when he was in
the chapel hearing mass, brother Der
uard said To him, "~ir. certain plot
rs Matching against you. a paper has !
already been drawn ~ informing the |
Grand Master and the rest. that a. re. |
celylng the brethren into the order
YOU do not observe the forms which |
You arc bound 10 observe and depo. |
nent thinks that this was for his spar.
ing the feelings at these knights. /
AdJuIcd 20 tell the origin of this /
strange blindness in denying Christ ne /
answered on hi, oath-some Of the /
order attribute 1t to the commands Of /
the Grand Master made prisoner by |
the soldan, others assert 10 10 be in |
and imitation of st. /
Peter. WHO thrice denied Christ. The
indictment published los the Court Of
Rome set forth that In all the PROVING.
rs they had IDOLS thatisto say, heads.
some Of which had three faces, others