Jerome, on Matt 6:7

“And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard.”

“On this there starts up a heresy of certain Philosophers who taught the mistaken dogma, that If God knows for what we shall pray, and, before we ask, knows what we need, our prayer is needlessly made to one who has such knowledge. (Epicureans.) To such we shortly reply, That in our prayers we do not instruct, but entreat; it is one thing to inform the ignorant, another to beg of the understanding: the first were to teach; the latter is to perform a service of duty.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.