estations of the one God in
the Law, the Gospel, and the Church; yet even he agreed with Arius in a
philosophical doctrine of the unity of God which was inconsistent with a
real incarnation. Even the noble work of Origen had helped to strengthen
the philosophical influences which were threatening to overwhelm the
definite historic revelation. Tertullian had long since warned the
churches of the danger; but a greater than Tertullian was needed now to
free them from their bondage to philosophy. Are we to worship the Father
of our spirits or the Supreme of the philosophers? Arius put the
question: the answer came from Athanasius. Though his _De Incarnatione
Verbi Dei_ was written in early manhood, before the rise of Arianism, we
can already see in it the firm grasp of fundamental principles which
enabled him so thoroughly to master the controversy when it came before
him. He starts from the beginning, with the doctrine that God is good
and not envious, and that His goodness is shown in the creation, and
more especially by the creation of man in the image of God, whereby he
was to remain in bliss and live the true life, the life of the saints in
Paradise. But when man sinned, he not only died, but fell into the
entire corruption summed up in death; for this is the full meaning of
the threat 'ye shall die with death.'[1] So things went on from bad to
worse on earth. The image of God was disappearing, and the whole
creation going to destruction. What then was God to do? He could not
take back his sentence that death should follow sin, and yet he could
not allow the creatures of his love to perish. Mere repentance on man's
side could not touch the law of sin; a word from God forbidding the
approach of death would not reach the inner corruption. Angels could not
help, for it was not in the image of angels that man was made. Only he
who is himself the Life could conquer death. Therefore the immortal Word
took human flesh and gave his mortal body for us all. It was no
necessity of his nature so to do, but a pure outcome of his love to men
and of the Father's loving purpose of salvation. By receiving in himself
the principle of death he overcame it, not in his own person only, but
in all of us who are united with him. If we do not yet see death
abolished, it is now no more than the passage to our joyful
resurrection. Our mortal human nature is joined with life in him, and
clothed in the asbestos robe of immortality. Thus, and only t