The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the TempleAddison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
History
The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple
Addison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
Templars -- History
On Saturday, the 25th of June, Brother Thomas Tocci de Thoroldeby, serving
brother of the order of the Temple, described as an apostate who had
escaped from Lincoln after his examination at that place by the papal
inquisitors, but had afterwards surrendered himself to the king's
officers, was brought before the bishops of London and Chichester, the
archdeacon of Salisbury, and others of the clergy in St. Martin's Church
in Vinetriâ; and being again examined, he repeated the statement made in
his first deposition, but added some particulars with regard to penances
imposed and absolutions pronounced in the chapter, showing the difference
between sins and defaults, the priest having to deal with the one, and the
Master with the other. He declared that the little cords were worn from
honourable motives, and relates a story of his being engaged in a battle
against the Saracens, in which he lost his cord, and was punished by the
Grand Master for a default in coming home without it. He gives the same
account of the secrecy of the chapters as all the other brethren, states
that the members of the order were forbidden to confess to the friars
mendicants, and were enjoined to confess to their own chaplains; that they
did nothing contrary to the christian faith, and as to their endeavouring
to promote the advancement of the order by any means, right or wrong, that
exactly the contrary was the case, as there was a statute in the order to
the effect, that if any one should be found to have acquired anything
unjustly, he should be deprived of his habit, and be expelled the order.
Being asked what induced him to become an apostate, and to fly from his
order, he replied that it was through fear of death, because the abbot of
Lagny, (the papal inquisitor,) when he examined him at Lincoln, asked him
if he would not confess anything further, and he answered that he knew of
nothing further to confess, unless he were to say things that were not
true; and that _the abbot, laying his hand upon his breast, swore by the
word of God that he would make him confess before he had done with him_!
and that being terribly frightened he afterwards bribed the gaoler of the
castle of Lincoln, giving him forty florins to let him make his escape.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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