单选题 There are, two opinions as to the production of light. Augustine seems to say that Moses could not have fittingly passed over the production of the spiritual creature, and therefore when we read. In the beginning God created heaven and earth, a spiritual nature as yet formless is to be understood by the word heaven, and the formless matter for the corporeal creature by the word earth. And spiritual nature was formed first, as being of higher dignity than corporeal. The forming, therefore, of this spiritual nature is signified by the production of light. That is to say, the light in question is a spiritual light. For a spiritual nature receives its formation by the illumination whereby it is led to adhere to the world of God.
Other writers think that the production of spiritual creatures was purposely omitted by Moses, and give various reasons. Basil says that Moses begins his narrative from the beginning of the time which belongs to sensible things; but that the spiritual or angelic creation is passed over, as having been created beforehand.
Chrysostom gives us a reason for the omission that Moses was addressing an ignorant people, to whom material things alone appealed, and whom he was endeavoring to draw away from the worship of idols. It would have been to them a pretext for idolatry if he had spoken to them of natures spiritual in substance and nobler than all corporeal creatures; for they would have paid them divine worship, since they were prone to worship as gods even the sun, moon, and stars, which was forbidden them (Deut. iv. 19).
But Scripture also mentioned several kinds of formlessness, in regard to the corporeal creature Gen. i. 2). One is where we read that the earth was void and empty, and another where it is said that darkness was upon the face of the deep. Now it was necessary, for two reasons, that the informity of darkness should be removed first of all by the production of light. In the first place because light is a quality of the first body, as was stated, and thus it was fitting that the world should be first formed according to light. The second reason is because light is a common quality. For light is common to terrestrial and celestial bodies. But just as in knowledge we proceed from general principles, so do we in work of every kind. For the living thing is generated before the animal, and the animal before man, as is shown in De Gener Anita. It was fitting, then, as an evidence of the divine wisdom, that among the works of distinction the production of light should take first place, since light is a form of the primary body, and because it is a more common quality.
Basil, furthermore, adds a third reason: that all other things are made manifest by light. And there is yet a fourth, already touched upon in the objections, namely, that day cannot be unless light exists. It had to be made, therefore, on the first day.
Comprehension Questions

单选题 The purpose of this article is to______

单选题 In this passage, the meaning of corporeal is______

单选题 What does Chrysostom say is Moses"s reason for not discussing the spiritual nature of light?

单选题 One reason the author gives for the creation of light first is______

单选题 In what way does Basil"s view differ from Chrysostom"s view of Moses"s omission?