Are congregations or societies of monasteries living under the same superior, in the same manner, and wearing the same habit. Religious orders may be reduced to five kinds, viz. monks, canons, knights, mendicants, and regular clerks. White order denotes the order of regular canons, of St. Augustine. Black order denotes the order of St. Benedict. Orders religious military are those instituted to defense of the faith, and privileged to say mass, and who are prohibited marriage, &c. Of this kind are the knights of Malta, or of St. John of Jerusalem. Such also were the knights templars, the knights of Calatrave, of St. Lazarus, Teutonic knights, &c.