-
Articles/Ads
Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. ← Page 2 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templar.
That was perhaps , the first time that France beheld an accused party Avho had obtained mercy in virtue of confessions , afterwards appear as accusers and witnesses against their companions equally accused .
The greatest part of these tAvo hundred and thirty-one witnesses is then composed of apostate Templars , who having- abandoned * the habit of the Order , had been cleared by their judges in compensation for their base and cowardly confessions . Some depositions were in favour- of the Order ; that is to say , they
attested that at the time of the reception of new members nothingpassed but what was conformable to the laAvs of religion and honour . In fine , there were depositions of other witnesses Avho , not beingmembers of the Order , were incapable of giving any direct or positive explanations respecting the secret mode of receiving the members ,
consequently do not merit attention . The Fathers of the council of Vienne did but an act of justice in refusing their assent to the pretended ju-oofs derived from this examination .
Moreover , they Avere not ignorant that those apostates assembled for the purpose of deposing against the Order consisted chiefly of brother servants and a very feAv chevaliers ; f and that the other chevaliers endured their misery rather than perjure themselves , and belie their virtue . % They were not ignorant that this great majority had not been
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templar.
That was perhaps , the first time that France beheld an accused party Avho had obtained mercy in virtue of confessions , afterwards appear as accusers and witnesses against their companions equally accused .
The greatest part of these tAvo hundred and thirty-one witnesses is then composed of apostate Templars , who having- abandoned * the habit of the Order , had been cleared by their judges in compensation for their base and cowardly confessions . Some depositions were in favour- of the Order ; that is to say , they
attested that at the time of the reception of new members nothingpassed but what was conformable to the laAvs of religion and honour . In fine , there were depositions of other witnesses Avho , not beingmembers of the Order , were incapable of giving any direct or positive explanations respecting the secret mode of receiving the members ,
consequently do not merit attention . The Fathers of the council of Vienne did but an act of justice in refusing their assent to the pretended ju-oofs derived from this examination .
Moreover , they Avere not ignorant that those apostates assembled for the purpose of deposing against the Order consisted chiefly of brother servants and a very feAv chevaliers ; f and that the other chevaliers endured their misery rather than perjure themselves , and belie their virtue . % They were not ignorant that this great majority had not been