CHAPTER IV
BUT how came the fool to say in his heart that which he could not conceive? or how came he to be able not to conceive that which 15yet he said in his heart? For it may be thought
that to conceive and to say in one’s heart are one
and the same thing. If it is true—nay, because
it is true, that he conceived it, because he said it
in his heart; and also true that he did not say
it in his heart because he could not conceive it;
it follows that there are two senses in which
something may be understood to be conceived or
said in the heart. For in one sense we are said
to have a conception of something, when we
have a conception of the word that signifies it;
and in another sense, when we understand what
the thing really is. In the former sense then we
may say that God is conceived not to exist: but
in the latter, He cannot by any means be conceived not to exist. For no man that understandeth what
fire and water mean, can conceive
that fire is really water; though he may have
this conception, as far as the words go. Thus
in like manner no man that understandeth what
God is can conceive that God does not exist;
although he may say these words [that God
does not exist] either with no meaning at all, or
with some other meaning than that which they
properly bear. For God is that than which no
greater can be conceived. He who well under
standeth what this is, certainly understandeth
it to be such as cannot even be conceived not to
exist. Whosoever therefore understandeth in
this way that God exists, cannot conceive that
he does not exist. Thanks be to Thee, O
good Lord, thanks be to Thee! because that 16which heretofore I believed by Thy grace, I
now by Thine illumination thus understand, so
that, even though I should not wish to believe in
Thine existence, I cannot but understand that
Thou dost exist.
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