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CAPITULUM III
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Ps 13:1; 52:1 326 I PRO S LOG ION I CAPITULUM III Quod non possit cogitari non esse Quod utique sic vere est, ut nee cogitari possit non esse. Nam potest cogitari esse aliquid, quod non possit cogitari non esse; quod maius est quam quod non esse cogitari potest. Quare si id quo maius nequit cogitari, potest cogitari non esse:id ipsum quo maius cogitari nequit, non est id quo maius cogitari nequit; quod convenire non potest. Sic ergo vere est aliquid quo maius cogitari non potest, ut nee cogitari possit non esse. Et hoc es tu, Domine Deus noster. Sic ergo vere es, Domine, Deus meus, ut nee cogitari possis non esse. Et merito. Si enim aliqua mens posset cogitare aliquid melius te, ascenderet creatura super creatorem et judicaret de creatore; quod valde est absurdum. Et quidem quidquid est aliud praeter te solum, potest cogitari non esse. Solus igitur verissime omnium et ideo maxime omnium habes esse, quia quidquid aliud est, non sic vere, et idcirco minus habet esse. Cur it~que dixit insipiens in corde suo: non est Deus, cum tam in promptu sit rationali menti te maxime omnium esse? Cur, nisi quia stultus et insipiens? Ps 13:1; 52:1 326 I PRO S LOG ION I CAPITULUM III Quod non possit cogitari non esse Quod utique sic vere est, ut nee cogitari possit non esse. Nam potest cogitari esse aliquid, quod non possit cogitari non esse; quod maius est quam quod non esse cogitari potest. Quare si id quo maius nequit cogitari, potest cogitari non esse:id ipsum quo maius cogitari nequit, non est id quo maius cogitari nequit; quod convenire non potest. Sic ergo vere est aliquid quo maius cogitari non potest, ut nee cogitari possit non esse. Et hoc es tu, Domine Deus noster. Sic ergo vere es, Domine, Deus meus, ut nee cogitari possis non esse. Et merito. Si enim aliqua mens posset cogitare aliquid melius te, ascenderet creatura super creatorem et judicaret de creatore; quod valde est absurdum. Et quidem quidquid est aliud praeter te solum, potest cogitari non esse. Solus igitur verissime omnium et ideo maxime omnium habes esse, quia quidquid aliud est, non sic vere, et idcirco minus habet esse. Cur it~que dixit insipiens in corde suo: non est Deus, cum tam in promptu sit rationali menti te maxime omnium esse? Cur, nisi quia stultus et insipiens? 327 I Text and Translation IChapter 3 That it cannot be thought not to be And surely it so truly is that it cannot be thought not to be. For something can be thought to be that cannot be thought not to be, and this is greater than what can be thought not to be. If, then, that than which a greater cannot be thought can be thought not to be, that than which a greater cannot be thought is itselfnot that than which a greater cannot be thought-which is contradictory. Therefore, something than which a greater cannot be thought so truly is that it cannot be thought not to be. And this is you, lord our God. You so truly are, then, lord my God, that you cannot even be thought not to be. And this is fitting. For ifsome mind could think ofsomething better than you, the creature would rise above the creator and judge ofthe creator, which is completely absurd. Indeed, whatever else is, other than you alone, can be thought not to be. You alone, then, most truly ofall, and thus most greatly of all, possess being-for whatever else is does not so truly possess being and thus is to a lesser degree. Why, then, did the fool say in his heart that there is no God, when it is so evident to a rational mind that you ofall things are to the highest degree? Why, indeed, unless because he was stupid and a fool? 327 I Text and Translation IChapter 3 That it cannot be thought not to be And surely it so truly is that it cannot be thought not to be. For something can be thought to be that cannot be thought not to be, and this is greater than what can be thought not to be. If, then, that than which a greater cannot be thought can be thought not to be, that than which a greater cannot be thought is itselfnot that than which a greater cannot be thought-which is contradictory. Therefore, something than which a greater cannot...