8. Before all things, the Teacher of peace and the Master of unity would not have prayer to be made singly and individually, as for one who prays to pray for himself alone. For we say not “My Father, which art in heaven,” nor “Give me this day my daily bread;” nor does each one ask that only his own debt should be forgiven him; nor does he request for himself alone that he may not be led into temptation, and delivered from evil. Our prayer is public and common; and when we pray, we pray not for one, but for the whole people, because we the whole people are one. The God of peace and the Teacher of concord, who taught unity, willed that one should thus pray for all, even as He Himself bore us all in one.16    [Unity is never out of our author’s mind or heart.] This law of prayer the three children observed when they were shut up in the fiery furnace, speaking together in prayer, and being of one heart in the agreement of the spirit; and this the faith of the sacred Scripture assures us, and in telling us how such as these prayed, gives an example which we ought to follow in our prayers, in order that we may be such as they were:  “Then these three,” it says, “as if from one mouth sang an hymn, and blessed the Lord.”17    Song of the Three Children 28. They spoke as if from one mouth, although Christ had not yet taught them how to pray. And therefore, as they prayed, their speech was availing and effectual, because a peaceful, and sincere, and spiritual prayer deserved well of the Lord. Thus also we find that the apostles, with the disciples, prayed after the Lord’s ascension: “They all,” says the Scripture, “continued with one accord in prayer, with the women, and Mary who was the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.”18    Acts i. 14. They continued with one accord in prayer, declaring both by the urgency and by the agreement19    “Both the urgency and the agreement.” of their praying, that God, “who maketh men to dwell of one mind in a house,”20    Ps. lxviii. 6. only admits into the divine and eternal home those among whom prayer is unanimous.

VIII. Ante omnia, pacis doctor atque unitatis magister singillatim noluit et privatim precem fieri, ut 0524A quis cum precatur, non pro se tantum precetur. Non enim dicimus, Pater meus qui es in coelis, nec Panem meum da mihi hodie; nec dimitti sibi tantum unusquisque debitum postulat, aut ut in tentationem non inducatur, atque a malo liberetur, pro se solo rogat. Publica est nobis et communis oratio; et quando oramus, non pro uno sed pro toto populo oramus, quia totus populus unum sumus. Deus pacis et concordiae magister, qui docuit unitatem, sic orare unum pro omnibus voluit quomodo in uno omnes ipse portavit. Hanc orationis legem servaverunt tres pueri in camino ignis inclusi, consonantes in prece, et spiritus consensione concordes. Quod declarat Scripturae divinae fides: et dum docet quomodo oraverint tales , dat exemplum quod imitari in precibus debeamus, ut 0524B tales esse possimus: Tunc ille tres, inquit, quasi ex uno ore hymnum canebant et benedicebant Dominum (Dan. III, 51). Loquebantur quasi ex uno ore, et nondum illos Christus docuerat orare. Et idcirco orantibus fuit impetrabilis et efficax sermo, quia promerebatur Dominum pacifica et simplex et spiritalis oratio. Sic et Apostolos cum discipulis post ascensum Domini invenimus orasse: Erant, inquit, perseverantes omnes unanimes in oratione cum mulieribus et Maria quae fuerat mater Jesu, et fratribus ejus (Act. I, 14). Perseverabant in oratione unanimes, orationis suae et instantiam simul et concordiam declarantes : quia Deus, qui inhabitare facit unanimes in domo (Psal. LXVII, 7), non admittit in divinam et aeternam domum nisi eos apud quos est unanimis oratio.