Precepts of the Order and Membership Qualifications

History of the Order

Precepts of the Order and Membership Qualifications

Explanations for two knights on one horse seal

• Love, honour and fear God, walk after his commandments.
• Maintain and defend the Christian Faith and the honour, dignity and interests of our Order.
• Be loyal to your Sovereign, dutiful to the Grand Master and obedient to those who rule over you.
• Prefer honour to wealth.
• Be just and true in word and deed.
• Give no willing cause of offence to any; but, while opposing wrong and injustice, deport yourselves courteously and gently.
• Assist the distressed, the widow and the fatherless
• Eschew all debasing employment, recreation and company; abhor pride and selfishness and so raise the standard of chivalrous honour, striving for the welfare of your Brethren

Candidate Qualifications

Candidates for this Order must be:

• Master Masons
• Companions of the Holy Royal Arch
• Profess the Trinitarian Christian Faith

They are Installed first as Knights of the Temple and then, later on in a separate ceremony, as Knights of Malta. Although the Orders can only claim to have inherited these titles from the knightly fraternities formed during the Crusades, the beautiful and moving ceremonies are based on those early beginnings when a group of Knights were granted a place of habitation within the sacred precincts of King Solomon’s Temple by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem in 1118.

The colourful regalia is based on the dress worn by the Crusaders. The Knights Templar wear a white tunic faced with a red cross, together with a white mantle and a red cap, each also bearing a red cross.

A black sash, belt and sword are worn over the tunic – although the sword is not a two handed one, as was in general use among the Crusaders.

In the Order of Malta a red tunic, black mantle and black cap are worn, each bearing an Amalfi Cross, often known as a Maltese Cross. This cross is eight-pointed and in the form of four “V”-shaped arms joined together at their tips, so that each arm has two points. Its design is based on crosses used since the First Crusade and was the symbol of Amalfi, a small Italian republic of the 11th century. There is no sash, but the belt and sword are worn as in the Knights Templar.

There are 12 Knight Templar Preceptories in the Province of Hampshire and Isle of Wight. Initial contact may be made through any of the Masonic centres or Knights Templar members. However, if you are not in contact with any members or Preceptories please use the enquiry form on our ‘Contact Us’ page.