7-4-6
Sic enim nitebar invenire cetera, ut iam inveneram melius esse incorruptibile quam corruptibile, et ideo te, quidquid esses, esse incorruptibilem confitebar.
For in my struggle to solve the rest of my difficulties, I now assumed henceforth as settled truth that the incorruptible must be superior to the corruptible, and I did acknowledge that thou, whatever thou art, art incorruptible.
neque enim ulla anima umquam potuit poteritve cogitare aliquid, quod sit te melius, qui summum et optimum bonum es.
For there never yet was, nor will be, a soul able to conceive of anything better than thee, who art the highest and best good.179
179. Cf. the famous “definition” of God in Anselm’s ontological argument: “that being than whom no greater can be conceived.” Cf. Proslogium, II–V.
cum autem verissime atque certissime incorruptibile corruptibili praeponatur, sicut ego iam praeponebam, poteram iam cogitatione aliquid adtingere, quod esset melius deo meo, nisi tu esses incorruptibilis.
And since most truly and certainly the incorruptible is to be placed above the corruptible—as I now admit it—it followed that I could rise in my thoughts to something better than my God, if thou wert not incorruptible.
ubi igitur videbam incorruptibile corruptibili esse praeferendum, ibi te quaerere debebam, atque inde advertere, ubi sit malum, id est unde sit ipsa corruptio, qua violari substantia tua nullo modo potest.
When, therefore, I saw that the incorruptible was to be preferred to the corruptible, I saw then where I ought to seek thee, and where I should look for the source of evil: that is, the corruption by which thy substance can in no way be profaned.
nullo enim prorsus violat corruptio deum nostrum nulla voluntate, nulla necessitate, nullo inproviso casu, quoniam ipse est deus, et quod sibi vult, bonum est, et ipse est idem bonum; corrumpi autem non est bonum.
For it is obvious that corruption in no way injures our God, by no inclination, by no necessity, by no unforeseen chance—because he is our God, and what he wills is good, and he himself is that good. But to be corrupted is not good.
nec cogeris invitus ad aliquid, quia voluntas tua non est maior quam potentia tua. esset autem maior, si te ipso tu ipse maior esses: voluntas enim et potentia dei deus ipse est.
Nor art thou compelled to do anything against thy will, since thy will is not greater than thy power. But it would have to be greater if thou thyself wert greater than thyself–for the will and power of God are God himself.
quid improvisum tibi, qui nosti omnia? et nulla natura est, nisi quia nosti eam. et ut quid multa dicimus, cur non sit corruptibilis substantia, quae deus est, quando, si hoc esset, non esset deus?
And what can take thee by surprise, since thou knowest all, and there is no sort of nature but thou knowest it? And what more should we say about why that substance which God is cannot be corrupted; because if this were so it could not be God?