to pray, stretching out the soul, as it were, before the hands, and stretching the mind toward God before the eyes, and before standing, arousing the ruling principle from the ground and setting it toward the Lord of all, putting away all remembrance of wrongs toward anyone who seems to have done an injustice, to the extent that one wishes God also to not remember wrongs against him, who has done wrong and sinned against many of his neighbors or is conscious of whatever things he has done contrary to right reason. For one must not doubt that, of the countless postures of the body, the posture with the stretching out of the hands and the raising of the eyes should be preferred above all, as bearing on the body the image of the fitting characteristics of the soul during prayer. And we say these things should be done chiefly without any special circumstance; for in special circumstances it is properly permitted sometimes to pray while sitting because of some not-to-be-despised illness of the feet, or even lying down because of fevers or such weaknesses, and also because of circumstances, for instance, if we are sailing, or if our business does not permit us to withdraw and render the prayer that is due, it is possible to pray without even pretending to do so. 31.3 And as for kneeling, one must know that it is necessary, when one is about to accuse himself of his own sins before God, supplicating for healing for these and for their forgiveness, that it is a symbol of being fallen and subordinate, as Paul says: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” And the spiritual kneeling, so named from the fact that every being has fallen subject to God “in the name of Jesus” and has humbled himself to Him, the apostle seems to me to indicate in the words “that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” For one must not at all suppose that the bodies of heavenly beings are so formed as to have physical knees, since their bodies have been demonstrated by those who have accurately investigated these matters to be spherical. But he who is not willing to accept this, and the uses of each of the members, so that nothing in them may have been created in vain by God, if he is not shameless with respect to reason, will accept it, stumbling in either case, whether he says that members of a body were made by God in vain and not for their proper function, or whether he will say that the entrails and the rectum fulfill their proper uses even in heavenly beings. But he will conduct himself very foolishly if he thinks that, in the manner of statues, only the surface is anthropomorphic but no longer the parts deep within. But these things are said by me as I examine kneeling and see that “in the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” But what is written in the prophet, “to me every knee will bow,” is the same. 31.4 And concerning place, it must be known that every place becomes suitable for prayer by one who prays well; for “in every place offer incense to me,” “says the Lord,” and “I desire, therefore, that men pray in every place.” But each person also has an appointed place for performing his prayers in quietness without distraction, having selected, if possible, the more solemn, so to speak, spot in his own house, to pray in such a way, in addition to the general examination concerning it, considering whether in this place, in which he prays, he has not ever transgressed and acted contrary to right reason; for it is as if he has made not only himself but also the place of his own prayer such that the oversight of God flees from there. But as I consider this place further, something must be said that might seem heavy, but perhaps not to be despised by one who examines it carefully. For in the place of not unlawful intercourse but that which is permitted by the apostolic word “by way of concession, not of command,” it must be examined whether it is holy and pure to commune with God; for if to devote oneself "to prayer" in the way one ought not

εὔξασθαι, πρὸ τῶν χειρῶν ὡσπερεὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκτείναντα καὶ πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὸν νοῦν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐντείναντα καὶ πρὸ τοῦ στῆναι διεγείραντα χα μόθεν τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν καὶ στήσαντα αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων κύ ριον, πᾶσαν μνησικακίαν τὴν πρός τινα τῶν ἠδικηκέναι δοκούντων ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἀποθέμενον, ὅσον τις καὶ αὐτῷ <ἀ>μνησικακεῖν τὸν θεὸν βούλεται, ἠδικηκότι καὶ εἰς πολλοὺς τῶν πλησίον ἡμαρτηκότι ἢ ὁποῖα δή ποτε παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον πεπραγμένα ἑαυτῷ συν ειδότι. οὐδὲ διστάσαι γὰρ χρὴ ὅτι, μυρίων καταστάσεων οὐσῶν τοῦ σώματος, τὴν κατάστασιν τὴν μετ' ἐκτάσεως τῶν χειρῶν καὶ ἀνατάσεως τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πάντων προκριτέον, οἱονεὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πρεπόντων ἰδιωμάτων τῇ ψυχῇ κατὰ τὴν εὐχὴν φέροντα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος. ταῦτα δὲ λέγομεν χωρὶς πάσης περιστάσεως δεῖν γενέσθαι προηγουμένως· μετὰ γὰρ περιστάσεως δέδοται καθηκόντως ποτὲ καθεζόμενον εὔξασθαι διά τινα νόσον τῶν ποδῶν οὐκ εὐκατα φρόνητον ἢ καὶ κατακείμενον διὰ πυρετοὺς ἢ τοιαύτας ἀσθενείας, καὶ διὰ περιεστῶτα δὲ, φέρε εἰπεῖν, ἐὰν πλέωμεν, ἢ τὰ πράγματα μὴ ἐπιτρέπῃ ἀναχωροῦντας ἡμᾶς ἀποδοῦναι τὴν ὀφειλομένην εὐχὴν, ἔστιν εὔξασθαι μηδὲ προσποιούμενον τοῦτο ποιεῖν. 31.3 καὶ ἡ γονυκλισία δὲ ὅτι ἀναγκαία ἐστὶν, ὅτε τις μέλλει τῶν ἰδίων ἐπὶ θεοῦ ἁμαρτημάτων κατηγορεῖν, ἱκετεύων περὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἰάσεως καὶ τῆς ἀφέσεως αὐτῶν, εἰδέναι χρὴ ὅτι σύμβολον τυγχάνει τοῦ ὑποπεπτωκότος καὶ ὑποτεταγμένου, Παύλου λέγοντος· «τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάζεται.» τὴν δὲ νοητὴν γονυ κλισίαν, οὕτως ὀνομαζομένην παρὰ τὸ ὑποπεπτωκέναι τῷ θεῷ «ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ» [καὶ] ἕκαστον τῶν ὄντων <καὶ> αὐτῷ ἑαυτὸν τε ταπεινωκέναι, δηλοῦν μοι ὁ ἀπόστολος φαίνεται ἐν τῷ «ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ κα ταχθονίων.» ἐσχηματίσθαι γὰρ τῶν ἐπουρανίων τὰ σώματα, ὡς καὶ γόνατα σωματικὰ ἔχειν αὐτὰ, ὑπολαμβάνειν οὐ πάνυ τι χρὴ, σφαιρο ειδῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἀκριβῶς περὶ τούτων διειληφόσιν ἀποδεδειγμένων αὐτῶν τῶν σωμάτων. ὁ δὲ μὴ βουλόμενος τοῦτο παραδέξασθαι, καὶ τὰς χρείας ἑκάστου τῶν μελῶν, ἵνα μὴ μάτην ᾖ τι δεδημιουργημένον αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐὰν μὴ ἀναιδεύηται πρὸς τὸν λόγον, παρα δέξεται, ἑκατέρωθεν πταίων, εἴτε φήσει μέλη σώματος μάτην καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ ἔργῳ γεγονέναι αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἴτε ἐρεῖ τὰ ἔγκατα καὶ τὸ ἀπευθυσμένον ἔντερον τὰς ἰδίας χρείας ἐπιτελεῖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. σφόδρα δὲ μωρῶς ἀναστραφήσεται, ἐὰν τρό πον ἀνδριάντων τις νομίζῃ τὴν μὲν ἐπιφάνειαν μόνην εἶναι ἀνθρω ποειδῆ οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐν βάθει. ταῦτα δέ μοι λέγεται ἐξετάζοντι τὴν γονυκλισίαν καὶ ὁρῶντι ὅτι «ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψει ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων.» ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ γεγραμμένον· «ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ» ταὐτόν ἐστι. 31.4 καὶ περὶ τόπου δὲ ἰστέον ὅτι πᾶς τόπος ἐπιτήδειος εἰς τὸ εὔξασθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ καλῶς εὐχομένου γίνεται· «ἐν παντὶ» γὰρ «τόπῳ θυμίαμά μοι προσάγετε,» «λέγει κύριος,» καὶ «βούλομαι οὖν προσ εύχεσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ.» ἔχει δὲ καὶ τεταγμένον ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡσυχίας μὴ περισπώμενον τὰς εὐχὰς ἐπιτελεῖν ἕκαστον, ἐπιλεξάμενον τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου, ἐὰν ἐγχωρῇ, τὸ σεμνότερον, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, χωρίον, οὕτως εὔχεσθαι, πρὸς τῷ καθολικῷ τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξετάσεως ἐπισκοποῦντα εἰ ἐν τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ, ᾧ εὔχεται, οὐ παρα νενόμηταί ποτε καὶ παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον πεποίηται· οἱονεὶ γὰρ οὐ μόνον ἑαυτὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τόπον τῆς ἰδίας εὐχῆς τοιοῦτον πε ποίηκεν, ὡς φυγεῖν ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐπισκοποῦντι δέ μοι ἐπὶ πλεῖον καὶ περὶ τούτου τοῦ τόπου λεκτέον δόξαν μὲν ἄν τι εἶναι βαρὺ τάχα δὲ τῷ ἐπιμελῶς αὐτὸ βασανίζοντι οὐκ εὐ καταφρόνητον. ἐν γὰρ τῷ τόπῳ τῆς <οὐ> παρανόμου μίξεως ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ λόγου «κατὰ συγγνώμην οὐ κατ' ἐπιταγὴν» συγκεχωρημένης ἐξεταστέον εἰ ὅσιόν ἐστι καὶ καθαρὸν ἐντυγχάνειν τῷ θεῷ· εἰ γὰρ σχολάσαι «τῇ προσευχῇ» ὃν τρόπον χρὴ οὐχ