Trial IV: HONOR OUR FORBEARS

Feel the presence of your Templar brothers and sisters of the Past…theyare showing up, one by one, some groups of two and three… gently surroundingyou now.

Out from among them comes a Grandmaster of the past.  Our first grandmasterof all, Hugh de Payens.  He approaches you and smiles, “I haveinducted many a Templar in my time,” he says.

Now meet my friend, he says and waves his arm toward a monk dressed in white. St. Bernard appears.  He makes the sign of the cross in blessing.

Hear his words, how he described the historical Templars in their earliestdays:

“They lived without anything they could call their own, not even their will.  They are generally simply dressed, and covered with dust, their faces browned with the burning sun, and a fixed severe expression. On the eve of a battle, they arm themselves with faith within, and steel without: these are their only decoration, and they use them with valour, in the greatest perils fearing neither the number nor the strength of the barbarians. Their whole confidence is placed in the God of Armies, and fighting for His cause they seek a certain victory, or a holy and honourable death. O happy way of life, in which they can await death without fear, desire it with joy, and receive it with assurance!”

St. Bernard’s phrase, “not even their will” brings to mind the famed Templarwarcry, “Deus vult!” God, wills it.  They fully adhered to the motto,not my will, but thine, Lord.

St. Bernard’s phrase, God of the Armies refers to the Hebrew Bible whichcalls God LORD of Tsavaoth meaning God-of-the-Angel-Armies as the ultra-modernMessage Bible translates it.  Whenever you have heard of God being calledGod of Sabaoth, Adonai Tsavaoth (Jewish) or Lord of Hosts, it means literally,Yahweh (or Elohim) of the Angel Armies.  See WikipediaNamesof God article.

Ina moment you will contact more of our Templar leaders and founders. Now a knight comrade from the past comes forward and begins to sing. Yes, sing.  After the Templars were disbanded, he became a troubadour,a minstrel (Margaret Starbird teaches that heretical ministers of the alternativeChurch often went around disguised as minstrels/troubadors).  This Templar,Sir Ricault, plays a primitive Middle Ages guitar and he is singing a songhe wrote…

The following song “written in Provençal dialect by; a troubadourwho is thought to have been a Templar” refers ” to the disastrous fall ofa number of the main cities and castles of the Crusader kingdom in 1265 (notablythe town of Caesarea and the fortress of Arsuf)…”  – Peter Partner,The Murdered Magicians

“Hear” the song as you read the words below and feel the pain of your Templarbrother from the past…

“Pain and wrath invade my heart so that I almost think of suicide, or of laying down the cross I once assumed in honor of he who was laid upon the cross, for neither the cross nor his name protect us against the accursed Turks. Indeed, it seems clear enough that God is supporting them in our despite.

“At one stride they have captured Caesarea and taken by force the strong castle of Arsuf. O lord God, what a hard road have the knights, the sergeants and the burghers taken, who were harbored within the walls of Arsuf! Alas! the losses of the kingdom of Syria have been so heavy that is power is dispersed for ever!

“Then it is really foolish to fight the Turks, now that Jesus Christ no longer opposes them. They have vanquished the Franks and Tartars and Armenians and Persians, and they continue to do so. And daily they impose new defeats on us.  For God, who used to watch on our behalf, is now asleep, and Mohammed (Bafometz) puts forth his power to support the Sultan.”  – Ricault Bonomel

He felt that our god had gone to sleep since Islam was now triumphing overthe holy land, and half of Europe, all of Greece and Turkey, was lost. Lands of early pure Christianity (Christian paganism) such as Ephesus,Antioch, and of course Jerusalem were all lost.  We know God doesn’tsleep as the words of the American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow remindus:

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;
God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!

Now see our Grandmasters of the past.  Existing in the great NOW,they come to you and give their blessing…

King Solomon, the first “Grandmaster” of the Temple

Hugh de Payens, the Templar founding Grandmaster

William de Beaujeu
valiant Grandmaster during
the Siege of Acre

Jacques de Molay

And we cannot forget our spiritual Grandmaster, the JC man himself

Jesus Christ, Iesus Kristos,
Yeshua ha Moschiach,
our grandmaster

OPTIONAL: Take up your copy of the Shroud of Turin. Place the tips of your right thumb and first two fingers of the right hand together, then touch your lips with them. Next take the thumb and fingers still together and touch the feet on the Shroud of Turin. This step is optional, only do it if you feel comfortable. Historical Templars performed this homage on the actual shroud during their 3rd degree initiation. UPDATE: Recent discovery of the Chinon parchment prove in writing this was part of Templar initiations.

Click to proceed to the Fifth Trial