The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLAR1 Baldwin II., who assigned them quarters in his pal-I ace on the site of the ancient temple, whence they/ derived the name of Templars; a title which they( ever afterward retained.r "'Their firstarmory was established in a churchnear by, and here they stored their knightly weapons.The first Chapter was limited to nine members;but this limitation was removed by the Councilof Troyes in 1127. Raynouard says that Baldwinsent Hugh de Payens to Europe to solicit a newCrusade, and that while there he presented his companionsto the Pope Honor ius IT., from whom hecraved permission to form a religious military order,in imitation of that of the Hospitallers. ThePontiff referred them to the ecclesiastical councilwhich was then in session at Troyes, in Champagne.Thither De Payens repaired, and represented to thefathers the vocation of himself and his companionsas defenders of the pilgrim; the enterprise wasapproved, and St. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux,was commissioned to draw up a suitable code forthe government of the body, and to devise an appropriategarb. The dress chosen was in strong contrastwith that of the Knights Hospitallers, consistingof a white tunic and mantle, with a red crosson the left breast, while the Knights Hospitallerswore the plain black robe, bearing a white cross ofeight points on the left breast. The rule of conductand discipline was approved in i uS by Pope HonoriusII. The principal articles were these: TheKnights were bound to recite vocal prayers at certainhours ;to abstain from meats four days in theweek; to refrain from hunting and hawking; to defendwith their lives the mysteries of the Christian142