From Charles Addison's History of the Knights Templar

On the 22nd of September, the archbishop of Canterbury transmitted letters apostolic to all his suffragans, enclosing copies of the bull faciens misericordiam, and also the articles of accusation to be exhibited against the Templars, which they are directed to copy and deliver again, under their seals, to the bearer, taking especial care not to reveal the contents thereof. At the same time the archbishop, acting in obedience to the papal commands, before a single witness had been examined in England, caused to be published in all churches and chapels a papal bull, wherein the Pope declares himself perfectly convinced of the guilt of the order, and solemnly denounces the penalty of excommunication against all persons, of whatever rank, station, or condition in life, whether clergy or laity, who should knowingly afford, either publicly or privately, assistance, counsel, or kindness to the Templars, or should dare to shelter them, or give them countenance or protection, and also laying under interdict all cities, castles, lands, and places, which should harbour any of the members of the proscribed order.

At the commencement of the month of October, the inquisitors arrived in England, and immediately published the bull appointing the commission, enjoining the citation of the criminals, and of witnesses, and denouncing the heaviest ecclesiastical censures against the disobedient, and against every person who should dare to impede the inquisitors in the exercise of their functions. Citations were made in St. Paul's Cathedral, and in all the churches of the ecclesiastical province of Canterbury, at the end of high mass, requiring the Templars to appear before the inquisitors at a certain time and place, and the articles of accusation were transmitted to the constable of the Tower, in Latin, French, and English, to be read to all the Templars imprisoned in that fortress. On Monday, the 20th of October, after the Templars had been languishing in the English prisons for more than a year and eight months, the tribunal constituted by the Pope to take the inquisition in the province of Canterbury assembled in the Episcopal hall of London. It was composed of the bishop of London, Dieudonné, abbot of the monastery of Lagny, in the diocese of Paris, and Sicard de Vaur, canon of Narbonne, the Pope's chaplain, and hearer of causes in the pontifical palace. They were assisted by several foreign notaries. After the reading of the papal bulls, and some preliminary proceedings, the monstrous and ridiculous articles of accusation, a monument of human folly, superstition, and credulity, were solemnly exhibited as follows:

Item. At the place, day, and hour aforesaid, in the presence of the aforesaid lords, and before us the above-mentioned notaries, the articles enclosed in the apostolic bull were exhibited and opened before us, the contents whereof are as underwritten.

These are the articles upon which inquisition shall be made against the brethren of the military order of the Temple, &c.

1. That at their first reception into the order, or at some time afterwards, or as soon as an opportunity occurred, they were induced or admonished by those who had received them within the bosom of the fraternity, to deny Christ or Jesus, or the crucifixion, or at one time God, and at another time the blessed virgin, and sometimes all the saints.

2. That the brothers jointly did this.

3. That the greater part of them did it.

4. That they did it sometimes after their reception.

5. That the receivers told and instructed those that were received, that Christ was not the true God, or sometimes Jesus, or sometimes the person crucified.

6. That they told those they received that he was a false prophet.

7. That they said he had not suffered for the redemption of mankind, nor been crucified but for his own sins.

8. That neither the receiver nor the person received had any hope of obtaining salvation through him, and this they said to those they received, or something equivalent, or like it.

9. That they made those they received into the order spit upon the cross, or upon the sign or figure of the cross, or the image of Christ, though they that were received did sometimes spit aside.

10. That they caused the cross itself to be trampled under foot.

11. That the brethren themselves did sometimes trample on the same cross.

12. Item quod mingebant interdum, et alios mingere faciebant, super ipsam crucem, et hoc fecerunt aliquotiens in die veneris sanctâ!!

13. Item quod nonnulli eorum ipsâ die, vel alia septimanæ sanctæ pro conculcatione et minctione prædictis consueverunt convenire!

14. That they worshipped a cat which was placed in the midst of the congregation.

15. That they did these things in contempt of Christ and the orthodox faith.

16. That they did not believe the sacrament of the altar.

17. That some of them did not.

18. That the greater part did not.

19. That they believed not the other sacraments of the church.

20. That the priests of the order did not utter the words by which the body of Christ is consecrated in the canon of the mass.

21. That some of them did not.

22. That the greater part did not.

23. That those who received them enjoined the same.

24. That they believed, and so it was told them, that the Grand Master of the order could absolve them from their sins.

25. That the visitor could do so.

26. That the preceptors, of whom many were laymen, could do it.

27. That they in fact did do so.

28. That some of them did.

29. That the Grand Master confessed these things of himself, even before he was taken, in the presence of great persons.

30. That in receiving brothers into the order, or when about to receive them, or some time after having received them, the receivers and the persons received kissed one another on the mouth, the navel.

36. That the receptions of the brethren were made clandestinely.

37. That none were present but the brothers of the said order.

38. That for this reason there has for a long time been a vehement suspicion against them." The succeeding articles proceed to charge the Templars with crimes and abominations too horrible and disgusting to be named.

46. That the brothers themselves had idols in every province, viz. heads; some of which had three faces, and some one, and some a man's skull.

47. That they adored that idol, or those idols, especially in their great chapters and assemblies.

48. That they worshipped it.

49. As their God.

50. As their Savior.

51. That some of them did so.

52. That the greater part did.

53. That they said that that head could save them.

54. That it could produce riches.

56. That it had given to the order all its wealth.

56. That it caused the earth to bring forth seed.

57. That it made the trees to flourish.

58. That they bound or touched the head of the said idols with cords, wherewith they bound themselves about their shirts, or next their skins.

59. That at their reception the aforesaid little cords, or others of the same length, were delivered to each of the brothers.

60. That they did this in worship of their idol.

61. That it was enjoined them to gird themselves with the said little cords, as before mentioned, and continually to wear them.

62. That the brethren of the order were generally received in that manner.

63. That they did these things out of devotion.

64. That they did them everywhere.

65. That the greater part did.

66. That those who refused the things above mentioned at their reception, or to observe them afterwards, were killed or cast into prison.

The remaining articles, twenty-one in number, are directed principally to the mode of confession practised amongst the fraternity, and to matters of heretical depravity.