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When, then, they meet together to celebrate the aforementioned rites,
which they term synaxes, they are all so perfectly silent that, though
so large a number of the brethren is assembled together, you would not
think a single person was present except the one who stands up and chants
the Psalm in the midst; and especially is this the case when the prayer is
offered up, for then there is no spitting, no clearing of the throat, or
noise of coughing, no sleepy yawning with open mouths, and gaping, and no
groans or sighs are uttered, likely to distract those standing near. No
voice is beard save that of the priest concluding the prayer, except
perhaps one that escapes the lips through aberration of mind and
unconsciously takes the heart by surprise, inflamed as it is with an
uncontrollable and irrepressible fervour of spirit, while that which the
glowing mind is unable to keep to itself strives through a sort of
unutterable groaning to make its escape from the inmost chambers of the
breast. But if any one infected with coldness of mind prays out loud or
emits any of those sounds we have mentioned, or is overcome by a fit of
yawning, they declare that he is guilty of a double fault.
He is blameworthy, first, as regards his own prayer because he offers
it to God in a careless way; and, secondly, because by his unmannerly
noise he disturbs the thoughts of another who would otherwise perhaps have
been able to pray with greater attention. And so their rule is that the
prayer ought to be brought to an end with a speedy conclusion, lest while
we are lingering over it some superfluity of spittle or phlegm should
interfere with the close of our prayer. And, therefore, while it is still
glowing the prayer is to be snatched as speedily as possible out of the
jaws of the enemy, who, although he is indeed always hostile to us, is
yet never more hostile than when he sees that we are anxious to offer up
prayers to God against his attacks; and by exciting wandering thoughts and
all sorts of rheums he endeavours to distract our minds from attending to
our prayers, and by this means tries to make it grow cold, though begun
with fervour. Wherefore they think it best for the prayers to be short and
offered up very frequently: on the one hand that by so often praying to
the Lord we may be able to cleave to Him continually; on the other, that
when the devil is lying in wait for us, we may by their terse brevity avoid
the darts with which he endeavours to wound us especially when we are
saying our prayers,
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