ith regard to a woman (Num. 30:4).

Accordingly if before reaching the age of puberty a child makes a
simple vow, not yet having full use of reason, he is not bound in
virtue of the vow; but if he has the use of reason before reaching
the age of puberty, he is bound, so far as he is concerned, by his
vow; yet this obligation may be removed by his father's authority,
under whose control he still remains, because the ordinance of the
law whereby one man is subject to another considers what happens in
the majority of cases. If, however, the child has passed the age of
puberty, his vow cannot be annulled by the authority of his parents;
though if he has not the full use of reason, he would not be bound in
the sight of God.

The other is the solemn vow which makes a man a monk or a religious.
Such a vow is subject to the ordinance of the Church, on account of
the solemnity attached to it. And since the Church considers what
happens in the majority of cases, a profession made before the age of
puberty, however much the person who makes profession may have the
use of reason, or be capable of guile, does not take effect so as to
make him a religious (Extra, De Regular., etc. cap. Significatum
est.).

Nevertheless, although they cannot be professed before the age of
puberty, they can, with the consent of their parents, be received
into religion to be educated there: thus it is related of John the
Baptist (Luke 1:80) that "the child grew and was strengthened in
spirit, and was in the deserts." Hence, as Gregory states (Dial. ii,
3), "the Roman nobles began to give their sons to the blessed
Benedict to be nurtured for Almighty God"; and this is most fitting,
according to Lam. 3:27, "It is good for a man when he has borne the
yoke from his youth." It is for this reason that by common custom
children are made to apply themselves to those duties or arts with
which they are to pass their lives.

Reply Obj. 1: The legal age for receiving the tonsure and taking the
solemn vow of religion is the age of puberty, when a man is able to
make use of his own will; but before the age of puberty it is
possible to have reached the lawful age to receive the tonsure and be
educated in a religious house.

Reply Obj. 2: The religious state is chiefly directed to the
atta[in]ment of perfection, as stated above (Q. 186, A. 1, ad 4); and
accordingly it is becoming to children, who are easily drawn to it.
But as a consequence it is called a state