Writers in order to explain away the above difficulty quote, for
example: "Maimonides (born 1131 A.D.) in his guide, Rashi (1030) and
Aben Ezra (1119) in their commentaries, hold that the light of the
first day was that of the sun itself, which revolving in its sphere
from west to east and from east to west made a day of twenty-four
hours. The scripture's saying that it was created on the fourth
day is incident to its thus demonstrating its effects upon plants,
which appeared on the third day; rain, which proceeded from the
exhalations and vapors raised from the earth by the action of the
sun's heat thereon, being necessary to their vegetation. Therefore,
it is clear that there was no new creation on the fourth day; but
the heat implies that on that day the sun developed the effects of
his heat on plants." This is one of many explanations of philosophical
commentators who have tried to explain away the difficulty of creation,
owing to the many doubts that arose in the minds of learned men about
the tenth and eleventh centuries A.D.; and especially the Greek
philosophers, Aristotle [4] and others. Volumes upon volumes have
been written in order to explain away the difficulties theologians
encounter. As science advances, explanations and reconciliations
become more difficult. Maimonides, in his pious enthusiasm, after
having consulted Aristotle and others, is not quite certain, but
he claims (according to More, xi, 15): "I propose to show that the
creation of the world, as our religion teaches, is not impossible,
and all philosophical reasonings to the effect that it is not so,
as I have said, they may overthrow, but cannot make any objection
against us. As for me, I stand firm in my belief on the question,
of whether the world had a beginning or not. I accept the solution of
this problem from the prophets, as the prophets explain these things,
which speculation cannot reach," etc. (Kusari I, 65, 67). In other
words, Maimonides, the authors of the Talmud, and all other writers,
theological philosophers, Hebrew and Christian, prove the truth of the
Bible by the Bible. One portion of scripture must prove another portion
to be true. The Jews use their own biblical authorities to demonstrate
one another's statements. Isaiah gives evidence for Moses, and Moses
is made to testify for Isaiah, and so the Jewish philosophers whip the
devil round the ring. The Christians have a double hold. They have a
New Testament. They prove the statements made by persons figuring in
the Old Testament by statements made in the New Testament. That is,
they make Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Moses, etc., give testimony
for John, Mark, Matthew, and Luke; and then make Luke, Matthew, Mark,
and John give evidence for Moses, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Elisha, Elijah, etc.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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