Jewish philosophy -- Early works to 1800; Judaism -- Works to 1900; Philosophy, Medieval -- Early works to 1800
the term substance, when applied to the spheres above and to, the
corporeal objects here on earth is a perfect homonym, for the substance
of the one is not the substance of the other; and secondly that the
forms of the things on this earth are different from the forms of the
spheres; the terms substance and form when applied both to things below
and to the spheres above are homonyms; although there is no doubt that
the spheres have [like the things below, three] dimensions, they are
corporeal because they consist of substance and form, not because they
have dimensions. If this explanation is admitted with reference to the
spheres, how much more is he who believes that God is corporeal
justified in saying that God is a corporeal being which has dimensions,
but which in its substance, its true nature and properties is very
different from all created bodies, and that the term “substance” is
applied to Him and to His creatures homonymously, in the same manner as
the true believers, who have a correct conception of the divine idea,
apply the term “existence” homonymously to Him and to His creatures.
The Corporealists do not admit that all bodies consist of similar
atoms; they believe that God created all things, and that these differ
from each other both in their substances and in their constituent
properties; and just as the substance of dung differs from the
substance of the sun, so does, according to this theory, the substance
of the spheres and the stars differ from the substance of the created
light, i.e., the Divine Glory (Shechinah), and again the substance of
the Divine Glory, or the pillar of cloud created [for the purpose],
differ from the substance of the Most High; for the substance of the
latter is sublime, perfect, simple, constant and immutable. His
absolute existence remains always the same, and He creates all things
according to His will and desire. How could this argument, though it be
weak, be refuted by these strange methods of the Mutakallemim, which I
pointed out to you?
Third Argument.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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