The Knights Templar

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Some of The Original Rules of the Knights Templar 11th Century

1. To protect travellers & Keepers of the Faith

2. To bury the dead

3. To offer shelter from the sun and offer water to the thirsty

4. To protect the possessions of travellers

5. To protect the faith " miles christi" (Knight of Christ)

6. To embrace a higher calling

7. To Meditate everyday at set times

8. To provide food & clothing for members

9. To give yourself to the service of God

10. To be recognised as an Order

11. To live without money

12. To govern oneself

13. Knights are to wear white mantles & sergeants and squires to wear black or brown mantles

14. Recruit members to fight for king & faith

15. Supporters of the faith are Champagne, Anjou, Normandy, England and Scotland

16. Right to own land and take donations to the order

17. To provide means to fight for the faith

18. Protection of the land of Jerusalem

19. Freedom from local ecclesiastical authorities

20. Titles members to be given the best robes and to wear leather gloves

21. Masons are the only other people permitted to wear gloves to protect their hands

22. Titled members are permitted to sit next to a master at meal times,

23. To be served first and given the best food

24. If a Titled member sinned he would not have to work as penance, just say a prayer for forgiveness

25. Titled members can hear confessions and give absolution

26. Five faults that a Titled member could not give absolution for: 1. Killing a Christian man or women 2. Violently attacking another member 3. Attacking a member of another order or priest 4. renouncing the faith 5. Entering the order through fraud

27. To act independently of ecclesiastical and secular rulers

28. The Grand Master and members are given sole responsibility for the actions and conduct of the order

29. Ten Good Knights are appointed to defend the City of Jerusalem

30. A member is not allowed to charge without permission except to rescue another Christian in distress (he will lose his habit if he did so)

31. If the Christians were defeated in battle a member of the order was not allowed to return to the garrison while there was still a Christian banner raised aloft, to do so is to be expelled

32. Ten Knights are to guard the Order´s banner

33. A member will be expelled if whilst carrying the banner he charges without permission or if he lowers the banner

34. Members are not allowed to lodge with other orders accept with the Knights Hospitallers

35. Members are not allowed to eat or drink wine outside of their house, except with the hospitallers

36. In battle a member who can not rally round the order´s banner for any reason must go to a Hospitaller´s banner.

37. Retreat is only possible with the Hospitallers

38. Money will only be given to a member for him to purchase a particular item or perform a specific task for the order, any sum remaining had to be returned immediately

39. A member found to have money on him when he died is not to be buried in consecrated ground, or other members to pray for his soul, his body is to be thrown to the dogs

40. The Master is not allowed to give away land without the permission of the members

41. Disobeying orders will be expelled

Over 680 rules made up the Knights Templar rules.

Last Rule: "Now we have told you the things which you should do and what you should guard against, and those which lead to expulsion from the house, and the other punishments; we have not told you everything we should tell you, but you will ask.

May God let you say and do well.