The Templars: Conduct Rules, Doubts, and Privileges (Summary Notes)

The Templars: Conduct Rules, Doubts, and Privileges

• 54 THE TEMPLARS (Rules on conduct and discipline)

  • If a member spurns both of them, he should be accused publicly in the chapter with everyone present.
  • Guard against disparaging others and envy: such attitudes indicate blindness or unhappy vanity and align with the ancient wickedness of the enemy (the devil).

• 69 The kisses of all women to be avoided

  • It is dangerous for any man of religion to look too long upon the face of women.
  • Prohibitions: a brother should not kiss a widow, a young girl, a married woman, a sister, an aunt, or any other woman.
  • The knight of Christ should avoid all female kisses that could endanger purity, enabling a pure conscience and carefree life before God.

• 70 That none should henceforth become a godfather

  • General order: knights and followers should not be godparents in baptismal ceremonies.
  • Rationale: a scruple of this kind brings more glory than sin, and it does not provoke a woman’s kiss but rather rejects shame.

• 71 Concerning these commands

  • All commands in the Rule and everything written are to be in accordance with the wishes and intention of the master.
  • Formulaic closing: in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

• Initial doubts (Letter of Hugh ‘Peccator’ to the Templars in the East, ca. 1128)

  • Authorship and date contested; possible authors include: Hugh of Payns or Hugh, canon of St Victor in Paris (d. 1142).
  • References: [Latin] ‘Un document sur les débuts des Templiers’, J. Leclercq, Revue d'Histoire Ecclesiastique, 1957.
  • Text overview: to the soldiers of Christ in Jerusalem, the letter frames the devil’s temptations and the virtues of discipline.

• Core message of Hugh’s letter: the threefold tactics of the devil when guiding religious warriors

  • 1) The devil’s first task: draw us into sin; the first error to guard against is consent to sin.
  • 2) The second error: corrupt our good deeds by ulterior motives; do not seek glory for oneself when doing good; strive to do good well for God’s glory.
  • 3) The third error: cause us to lose constancy and stay out of the duty we are called to; stay in the state to which one has been called (citing the Apostle).
  • Scriptural anchors used to frame the discipline:
  • "Son, take care never to consent to sin" (to counter the first error).
  • "Do good well" (to counter the second error, i.e., avoid seeking personal glory in good deeds).
  • "Stay in your place" (to counter the third error, i.e., remain steadfast in your vocation).
  • Parabolic teaching: if all members had the same function, the body could not survive; the analogy of the foot and the eye is used to illustrate interdependence within the body of the order.
  • The foot supports the body and touches the ground; the body needs all parts as part of its unity; rewards are proportional to faithful work.
  • The devil’s strategy shifts as a result of perceived success in resisting sin: once a virtue is established, he attempts to lure away perseverance and lead to greater but redirected goals.
  • The devil’s typical ploy when defeated in one area is to move to another combat; the knight must stand firm against the enemy’s tricks.

• The devil’s tricks in combat and perseverance in virtue

  • The letter emphasizes that perseverance is the crowning feature of all good deeds.
  • The devil concedes the good but tempts to abandon the lesser good to gain the greater, not for the sake of obtaining the greater good but to prevent the lesser good from existing.
  • The enemy’s goal: to cause a shift in position rather than a true, continued progress.
  • The Devil is described as a lion and a serpent: a deceptive and dangerous adversary who cannot be trusted even when offering seemingly good counsel.
  • The letter warns against taking advice that encourages rising to a higher order if it diverts from one’s current vocation; humility and steadfastness are essential.
  • Visual metaphor: Eve’s temptation (“Eat and you will be like the gods”) illustrates the danger of seeking divinity and power rather than humility; the aim is to keep one’s humility intact and accept God’s providence.
  • If one desires a higher order, the counsel is to look inward, not outwardly for advancement; virtue and true advancement come from inner sanctity rather than external elevation.
  • The letter also counsels against internal pride: the one who desires to reign should not shirk work; the crown requires labor and readiness for toil, as Christ himself toiled and fought on earth before ascending.
  • The rejection of pious self-deception: true order serves the Church; even hermits must engage in necessary work to sustain life and the community.
  • The letter cautions that the devil’s tricks are not simply about overt sins, but about tempting leaders to rashness and subordinates to resentment, undermining peace within the order.
  • Practical moral: those who serve gain spiritual rewards; the faithful who work in the light of God’s will will be remembered by God; the deception is to separate the leaders from the lowly or to isolate the virtuous by pride.
  • The letter closes with a call to maintain peace within the brotherhood and to trust in God’s providence; the God of peace will be with you.

• Foundation and Privileges (overview)

  • Section heading marks a shift to institutional privileges and their theological grounding.
  • The text frames foundational ethics: obedience to the rule, humility, labor, perseverance, and the defense of the Christian faith against external threats.
  • Emphasis on integrating spiritual aims with practical activities (war for peace, protection of Christians in the Holy Land).
  • Recurrent theme: external pomp must not undermine internal virtue; true advancement is inner virtue, not outward rank.
  • The interplay between contemplation and action: even those who live as hermits must contribute to the necessary work that sustains the order and its mission.

• Omne Datum Optimum (Papal privileges) [29 March 1139]

  • Context: Papal bull issued by Pope Innocent II at the Lateran, soon after his return to Rome following the death of Anacletus II.
  • Addressees: Robert, Master of the Religious Order of the Temple (Templars) in Jerusalem, and successors and brothers, in perpetuity.
  • Core claim: Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (the theological grounding for privileged status and divine support).
  • References and sources: Papsturkunden für Templer und Johanniter, Oriens Pontificius series; Innocent II’s papal authority is cited as the basis for the privileges.
  • Historical notes: Innocent II (reigned 1130–1143); Robert of Craon, Master of the Temple (c. 1136–1149).
  • The bull situates the Templar order within a framework of divine blessing and institutional legitimacy, linking its mission to the broader Church’s authority.

• Cross-references and scriptural/canonical footnotes (selected)

  • 47 Tobit 4:5; 48 no apparent source; 49 no apparent source; 50 1 Corinthians 7:20; 51 1 Corinthians 7:7; 52 1 Corinthians 12:15; 53 Luke 10:7; 1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18; 54 Genesis 3:5; 55 Galatians 6:15; 56 Romans 10:2; 57 Matthew 20:22; 58 2 Corinthians 11:14.
  • Scriptural citations are used to ground the Knights’ duties, humility, perseverance, and proper understanding of vocation within the Christian life.
  • The notes emphasize that biblical intertexts are deployed to justify obedience, modesty, and labor as virtuous in the order’s life.

• Connections to broader themes (foundations, ethics, and real-world relevance)

  • The tension between ascetic ideals (purity, avoidance of worldly temptations) and active service (military defense, communal labor) reflects medieval monastic-papal negotiations about the proper balance between contemplation and action.
  • Emphasis on humility and avoidance of envy or rank-based pride resonates with broader monastic and military-religious ethos of the period.
  • The privileging of inner virtue over external status foreshadows later debates about how religious orders should be organized, funded, and authorized by the Papacy.
  • The interplay of spiritual warfare with practical governance (obedience, master’s will, maintaining peace in the order) highlights how religious orders framed their mission as sacred, yet deeply bound to organizational discipline.

• Practical implications and ethical reflections

  • Strict rules on women and kissing reflect concerns about maintaining chastity and controlling social interactions within the order.
  • Prohibition on becoming godparents signals the priority of spiritual commitments over social ties that might complicate vows.
  • The text treats perseverance and constancy as central virtues, warning against rationalized complacency or ambition that seeks external honor.
  • The papal bull’s blessing of the Templars legitimizes their military-religious vocation, embedding their work within a theology of divine sanction.

• Key formulas and references (LaTeX-formatted)

  • Scriptural anchors cited in the Hugh letter: $ext{Genesis }3:5, ext{ Luke }10:7, ext{ 1 Corinthians }9:9, ext{ 1 Timothy }5:18, ext{ 1 Corinthians }7:20, ext{ 1 Corinthians }7:7, ext{ 1 Corinthians }12:15, ext{ Galatians }6:15, ext{ Romans }10:2, ext{ Matthew }20:22, ext{ 2 Corinthians }11:14.$
  • Specific references to the devil’s tactics and their biblical framing include phrases like: “the first task of the devil is to draw us into sin,” “the second error… corrupt our intentions in good deeds,” and “the third error… stay in your place.”
  • The devil’s impersonation motifs and cautionary quotes: $ext{Eat and you will be like the gods}$ (Genesis 3:5 motif) and the lions/serpents imagery for temptation.
  • Omne Datum Optimum: $ext{Omne Datum Optimum} ext{ (29 March 1139)}.$