# Regular Obedience?



## JML (Sep 6, 2010)

> Westminster Confession of Faith
> Chapter XXII
> Paragraph VII
> 
> No man may vow to do anything forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his own power, and for the performance of which he hath no promise or ability from God. In which respects, monastic vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and *regular obedience*, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.



I have looked at the commentaries from Shaw and Hodge but they don't explain this paragraph in-depth. I am not that familiar with Roman Catholic practice. 

What is meant by "regular obedience"? The context is vows. I have heard of those who made vows of celibacy and poverty but have never heard of a vow to regular obedience. Is it as simple as it sounds that they felt it made a man more holy to strictly adhere to a certain regimen of activities or is there something else to it?

Sorry if this is a stupid question.


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## ADKing (Sep 6, 2010)

Obedience is the third in the trio of monastic vows. It implies obedience to a specific rule (e.g. benedictine, augustinian, etc) and to a superior in that order. Martin Luther observes in his work on monastic vows that this obedience trumps the obedience the word of God actually requires (for example, to parents).


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## Wayne (Sep 6, 2010)

Like John, I'm not well read in the practices of Roman Catholicism, but it appears that the word _regular_ in _regular obedience_ should not be understood as "usual" or "ordinary". Rather, something like "in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle" Also, in that sense you can see the a close association between _regular_ and _regulative_, as in _regulative principle_. That understanding would fit within Adam's helpful explanation of "obedience to a specific rule".


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