The History of the Knights Templar by Charles G ... - Masonic Renewal

state--Henry IL, king of England, visits the Temple at Paris--The magnificent hospitality
of the Templars in England and France--Benocdar, sultan of Egypt, invades Palestine--He
defeats the Templars, takes their strong fortresses, and decapitates six hundred of their
brethren--The Grand Master comes to England for succour--The renewal of the war--The
fall of Acre, and the final extinction of the Templars in Palestine 165
p. xvi
CHAPTER IX.
The downfall of the Templars--The cause thereof--The Grand Master comes to Europe at
the request of the Pope--He is imprisoned, with all the Templars in France, by command
of king Philip--They are put to the torture, and confessions of the guilt of heresy and
idolatry are extracted from them--Edward II. king of England stands up in defence of the
Templars, but afterwards persecutes them at the instance of the Pope--The imprisonment
of the Master of the Temple and all his brethren in England--Their examination upon
eighty-seven horrible and ridiculous articles of accusation before foreign inquisitors
appointed by the Pope--A council of the church assembles at London to pass sentence
upon them--The curious evidence adduced as to the mode of admission into the order,
and of the customs and observances of the fraternity. 193
CHAPTER X.
The Templars in France revoke their rack-extorted confessions--They are tried as
relapsed heretics, and burnt at the stake--The progress of the inquiry in England--The
curious evidence adduced as to the mode of holding the chapters of the order--As to the
penance enjoined therein, and the absolution pronounced by the Master--The Templars
draw up a written defence, which they present to the ecclesiastical council--They are
placed in separate dungeons, and put to the torture--Two serving brethren and a chaplain
of the order then make confessions--Many other Templars acknowledge themselves
guilty of heresy in respect of their belief in the religious authority of their Master--They
make their recantations, and are reconciled to the church before the south door of Saint
Paul's cathedral--The order of the Temple is abolished by the Pope--The last of the
Masters of the Temple in England dies in the Tower--The disposal of the property of the
order--Observations on the downfall of the Templars. 239
CHAPTER XI.
THE TEMPLE CHURCH.
The restoration of the Temple Church--The beauty and magnificence of the venerable
building--The various styles of architecture displayed in it--The
p. xvii
discoveries made during the recent restoration--The sacrarium--The marble piscina--The
sacramental niches--The penitential cell--The ancient Chapel of St. Anne--Historical