-
Articles/Ads
Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. ← Page 2 of 3 Article THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templars.
of Lnfcher only completed what the circumstances attending the fall of the Templars had commenced . The Order had never been so peacefully disposed . as in the reign of Philip ; and although they did protest , and protest loudly , against the sounding
of the coin , we have proved that the Templars had nothing to do with the riots Avhich folloAved the enforcing" of that obnoxious edict . It Avasthe o populace that rebelled , not the Order . Clement , urged on thus by his fears , and to
prove his complete submission to the will of the King , Avas not content Avith the revocation of his first Bulls , and substitution of his other . He
directed the Legates whom he had sent to the King to conform themselves in all things to his ¦ directions , to satisfy him in all that might concern the Templars , sparing , as much as they could , the ¦ di gnity of the Pontifical authority . Heat the
, same time , recalled part of the Bull which authorised the provincial councils to confirm the sentences of the ordinaries , and retained to himself and the King a general knoAvledge of the state
• of the Order , and disposal of the guilty and their ¦ wealth . Furthermore , he permitted the bishops "to seek out and try such Templars who were not in their dioceses—a grave breach of jurisdiction , and a proceeding never heard of before .
The King was highly gratified by the Pope ' s submission . He had no desire to embroil himself with the Church . He saw clearly that , to succeed in his project against the Templars , he would require Clement ' s assistance . Although , in his
quarrel with Boniface , he had come out Avith advantage , it had caused him much anxiety and chagrin , and Avas not unaccompanied Avith personal danger . He Avas , therefore , overjoyed to find himself UOAV freed from a similar peril . He immediately
sent a letter to Clement , couched in very different terms from those he had used in his remonstrance . He returned him thanks
for his Bull , assured him that he would receive 3 iis Legates Avith the utmost pleasure , and protested that he had conceived no evil design against the Pontifical jurisdiction , nor had ever entertained a wish to encroach upon its authority . He
promised that the Avealth of the Templars Avould be preserved for the determination of the Pope as to its final destination , and that it should be administered by officers totally unconnected Avith the government of his kingdom , so that no confusion or difference might afterwards arise . The King received the Papal Legates Avith all the honours due
The Knights Templars.
to their exalted station , and completely won them to his interests by his affability ancl gifts . The Legates , on their part , conformed themselves in all ways to his wishes , as directed by the Pope , and the King had no reason to complain of their Avant of will .
He nominally handed over to them the whole of the prisoners , and all their Avealth . This , hoAvever , Avas a fiction , for they remained in his custody , the Legates declaring that the difficulty of transporing safely the prisoners and their Avealth outside
the kingdom being so great , they would be in safer keeping under charge of the King ' s oflicers , although this detention should be in the names of the Pope and themselves . In fact , the Pope had the husk , and the King the kernal . The Pope
approved of and confirmed all that had been done on his part . Whatever respect the Pope may have been forced to entertain for the resolution of the King in regard to the abolition of the Order , one thing he was
firm in , and that Avas the destination of its wealth to the recovery of the Holy Land . Athough the King did not relish such a scheme , for he was Avell
aware of the chimerical character of any attempt to reconquer Palestine , he did not dare oppose it , as , on proposing the abolition of the Order , he had consented to it . He had at first intended to break through his engagement , prosecute the Templars
on his OAVU authority , and appropriate their wealth to his own purposes . He Avas compelled to abandon this idea on consulting with the doctors of theology and law at Paris . They held that the Templars being an ecclesiastical Order , and
holding from the Pope , Avere only ansiverable to him . The King could therefore personally take no cognisance of their crimes , nor seize upon their Avealth , but the church alone . All he could do
Avas attentively to Avatch his interests and the rights of the State , but he resolved that he should not lose the prey Avhich Avas lying in his power . Thus , Avhen the Pojie issued a neiv Bull , permitting the bishops to choose commissioners in their dioceses
to take charge of the Avealth of the Order , the King opposed its execution , and informed the Pontiff , in a firm and haughty manner , that it Avas useless for him to name neAV administrators , seeing that those appointed by royal authority were
faithful and Avithout reproach . Furthermore , it Avas his interest to take cognisance of the product of these riches , on account of his personal rights and those of his crown , Avhich he Avas not at liberty to renounce . These rights Avere relative to the duties
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Templars.
of Lnfcher only completed what the circumstances attending the fall of the Templars had commenced . The Order had never been so peacefully disposed . as in the reign of Philip ; and although they did protest , and protest loudly , against the sounding
of the coin , we have proved that the Templars had nothing to do with the riots Avhich folloAved the enforcing" of that obnoxious edict . It Avasthe o populace that rebelled , not the Order . Clement , urged on thus by his fears , and to
prove his complete submission to the will of the King , Avas not content Avith the revocation of his first Bulls , and substitution of his other . He
directed the Legates whom he had sent to the King to conform themselves in all things to his ¦ directions , to satisfy him in all that might concern the Templars , sparing , as much as they could , the ¦ di gnity of the Pontifical authority . Heat the
, same time , recalled part of the Bull which authorised the provincial councils to confirm the sentences of the ordinaries , and retained to himself and the King a general knoAvledge of the state
• of the Order , and disposal of the guilty and their ¦ wealth . Furthermore , he permitted the bishops "to seek out and try such Templars who were not in their dioceses—a grave breach of jurisdiction , and a proceeding never heard of before .
The King was highly gratified by the Pope ' s submission . He had no desire to embroil himself with the Church . He saw clearly that , to succeed in his project against the Templars , he would require Clement ' s assistance . Although , in his
quarrel with Boniface , he had come out Avith advantage , it had caused him much anxiety and chagrin , and Avas not unaccompanied Avith personal danger . He Avas , therefore , overjoyed to find himself UOAV freed from a similar peril . He immediately
sent a letter to Clement , couched in very different terms from those he had used in his remonstrance . He returned him thanks
for his Bull , assured him that he would receive 3 iis Legates Avith the utmost pleasure , and protested that he had conceived no evil design against the Pontifical jurisdiction , nor had ever entertained a wish to encroach upon its authority . He
promised that the Avealth of the Templars Avould be preserved for the determination of the Pope as to its final destination , and that it should be administered by officers totally unconnected Avith the government of his kingdom , so that no confusion or difference might afterwards arise . The King received the Papal Legates Avith all the honours due
The Knights Templars.
to their exalted station , and completely won them to his interests by his affability ancl gifts . The Legates , on their part , conformed themselves in all ways to his wishes , as directed by the Pope , and the King had no reason to complain of their Avant of will .
He nominally handed over to them the whole of the prisoners , and all their Avealth . This , hoAvever , Avas a fiction , for they remained in his custody , the Legates declaring that the difficulty of transporing safely the prisoners and their Avealth outside
the kingdom being so great , they would be in safer keeping under charge of the King ' s oflicers , although this detention should be in the names of the Pope and themselves . In fact , the Pope had the husk , and the King the kernal . The Pope
approved of and confirmed all that had been done on his part . Whatever respect the Pope may have been forced to entertain for the resolution of the King in regard to the abolition of the Order , one thing he was
firm in , and that Avas the destination of its wealth to the recovery of the Holy Land . Athough the King did not relish such a scheme , for he was Avell
aware of the chimerical character of any attempt to reconquer Palestine , he did not dare oppose it , as , on proposing the abolition of the Order , he had consented to it . He had at first intended to break through his engagement , prosecute the Templars
on his OAVU authority , and appropriate their wealth to his own purposes . He Avas compelled to abandon this idea on consulting with the doctors of theology and law at Paris . They held that the Templars being an ecclesiastical Order , and
holding from the Pope , Avere only ansiverable to him . The King could therefore personally take no cognisance of their crimes , nor seize upon their Avealth , but the church alone . All he could do
Avas attentively to Avatch his interests and the rights of the State , but he resolved that he should not lose the prey Avhich Avas lying in his power . Thus , Avhen the Pojie issued a neiv Bull , permitting the bishops to choose commissioners in their dioceses
to take charge of the Avealth of the Order , the King opposed its execution , and informed the Pontiff , in a firm and haughty manner , that it Avas useless for him to name neAV administrators , seeing that those appointed by royal authority were
faithful and Avithout reproach . Furthermore , it Avas his interest to take cognisance of the product of these riches , on account of his personal rights and those of his crown , Avhich he Avas not at liberty to renounce . These rights Avere relative to the duties