Letter CXXXIII.

To Peter, bishop of Alexandria.705    Peter II. succeeded Athanasius in May, 373.  Athanasius died May 2.

The sight of the eyes brings about bodily friendship, and long companionship strengthens it, but genuine regard is the gift of the Spirit, Who unites what is separated by long distances, and makes friends known to one another, not by bodily qualities, but by the characteristics of the soul.  The grace of the Lord has granted me this favour, by permitting me to see you with the soul’s eye, and to embrace you with genuine affection, and as it were, to be drawn very near to you, and to come into close union with you in the communion of faith.  I am sure that you, disciple as you are of so great a man, and long associated with him, will walk in the same spirit and follow the same doctrines of true religion.  Under these circumstances I address your excellency, and beseech you that among the other things in which you have succeeded that great man, you will succeed him in love to me, that you will frequently write me news of you, and will give heed to the brotherhood all over the world with the same affection and the same zeal which that most blessed man always showed to all that love God in truth.

ΠΕΤΡῼ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣ

[1] Τῆς μὲν σωματικῆς φιλίας ὀφθαλμοὶ πρόξενοι γίνονται καὶ ἡ διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου ἐγγινομένη συνήθεια βεβαιοῖ. Τὴν δὲ ἀληθινὴν ἀγάπην ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος δωρεὰ συνίστησι συνάπτουσα μὲν τὰ μακρῷ διεστῶτα τῷ τόπῳ, γνωρίζουσα δὲ ἀλλήλοις τοὺς ἀγαπητούς, οὐ διὰ σωματικῶν χαρακτήρων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἰδιωμάτων. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου χάρις ἐποίησε παρασχομένη ἡμᾶς ἰδεῖν σε τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ περιπτύξασθαί σε τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἀληθινῇ καὶ οἱονεὶ συμφυῆναί σοι καὶ πρὸς μίαν ἐλθεῖν ἕνωσιν ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὴν πίστιν κοινωνίας. Πεπείσμεθα γάρ σε ἀνδρὸς τοσούτου θρέμμα ὑπάρχοντα καὶ τὴν ἐκ παλαιοῦ διατριβὴν μετ' αὐτοῦ λαχόντα τῷ αὐτῷ πορεύεσθαι πνεύματι καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς στοιχεῖν τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγμασι. Διὸ καὶ προσφθεγγόμεθά σου τὴν τιμιότητα καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς διάθεσιν τοῦ μεγάλου ἀνδρὸς διαδέξασθαι, ἐπιστέλλειν τε ἡμῖν συνήθως τὰ κατὰ σαυτὸν καὶ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς πανταχοῦ ἀδελφότητος τοῖς αὐτοῖς σπλάγχνοις καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ προμηθείᾳ ᾗ καὶ ὁ μακαριώτατος ἐκεῖνος περὶ πάντας ἐχρῆτο τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.