I say:

What he has quoted from al-Asharī’s wording is well known, as is his explanation.

He said:

“The Imam—meaning Abū al-Maʿālī—said: ‘We had intended to refrain from discussing the apparent meanings of texts. Since the subject has arisen, however, we shall indicate some examples from the Book and the Sunnah. The corporealists and adherents of apparent meanings have openly declared their reliance upon them.’”

He said:

“The Muslims have unanimously agreed that it is impermissible to posit an attribute for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, on the basis of independent reasoning when certainty concerning it cannot be attained through either reason or revelation. He said: ‘Those firmly grounded in knowledge have unanimously agreed that apparent meanings may be restricted or set aside on grounds that do not yield certainty, such as solitary reports and analogical arguments. How, then, can something yield certainty when it may be set aside on grounds that do not yield certainty?’”

I say:

The consensus that Abū al-Maʿālī has asserted twice is the very one that Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Rāzī and others reported from the literalist among his companions and showed to be invalid. What al-Rāzī stated is the position held by the overwhelming majority of earlier and later scholars. The imams of the early generations explicitly stated this: an attribute that is known neither to be established nor to be absent is one that we neither deny nor affirm.