The Institution of Christian Religion

Whereby it also plainly appeareth that common prayers are to be spoken not in Greek among Latin men, nor in Latin among Frenchmen or Englishmen (as it hath heretofore ben each where commonly done) but in the peoples mother tongue, which commonly may be understood of the whole assembly: forasmuch as it ought to be done to the edifying of the whole Church, which receive no fruit at all of a sound not understanded. But they which have no regard neither of charity nor of humanity, should at least have ben somewhat moved with the authority of Paul,¹ whose words are nothing doubtful. If thou bless (sayeth he) in Spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of an unlearned man answer Amen to thy blessing, sith he knoweth not what thou sayest? For thou in deed givest thanks, but the other is not edified. Who therefore can sufficiently wonder at the unbridled licentiousness of the Papists, which, the Apostle so openly crying out against it, fear not to roar out in a strange tongue most babbling prayers, in which they themselves sometime understand not one syllable, nor would have other folks to understand it? But Paul teacheth that we ought to do otherwise. How then? I will pray (saith he) with spirit, I will pray also with mind: I will sing with spirit, I will sing also with mind: signifying ⟨p. 230⟩by the name of Spirit, the singular gift of tongues, which many being endued with abused it, when they severed it from the mind, that is, from understanding. But this we must altogether think, that it is by no mean possible, neither in public nor in private prayer, but that the tong without the hart must highly displease God. Moreover we must think that the mind ought to be kindled with ferventness of thought, that it may far surmount all that the tong may express with utterance. Finally that the tong is not necessary at all for private prayer, but so far as the inward feeling either is not able to suffice to enkindle it self, or the vehemence of enkindling violently carieth the work of the tong with it. For though very good prayers sometime be without voice, yet it oftentimes betideth, that when the affection of the mind is fervent, both the tong breaketh forth into voice, and the other members into gesturing without excessive show.

Whereby it also playnly appereth that common praiers are to be spoken not in Greke among Latine men, nor in Latine among Frenchemen or Englishemen (as it hath heretofore ben eche where commonly done) but in the peoples mother tongue, which cōmonly may be vnderstoode of the whole assembly: forasmuche as it ought to be done to the edifiyng of the whole Chirch, whiche receiue no fruite at all of a sound not vnderstanded. But they which haue no regarde neither of charitie nor of humanitie, shold at least haue ben somwhat moued with the authoritie of Paule,