Hello native English speakers.
Question about the following four sentences.

1. It cannot be but that the man is honest.
2. It cannot be that the man is honest.
3. It can be but that the man is honest.
4. It can be that the man is honest.
Question: Which is grammatically correct?
What does the “It” respectively refer to ?
What does the conjunction “but that” function as by grammar here?
Rewrite the sentences above in an easy way
for me to understand (due to my terrible and poor English)

Question

Hello native English speakers.
Question about the following four sentences.

1.  It cannot be but that the man is honest.
2.  It cannot be that the man is honest.
3.  It can be but that the man is honest.
4.  It can be that the man is honest.
Question:  Which is grammatically correct?
What does the “It” respectively refer to ?
What does the conjunction “but that” function as by grammar here?
Rewrite the sentences above in an easy way 
for me to understand (due to my terrible and poor English)

Answer

Hi, Caxio,

Number 2 is the only sentence that makes sense. In order to understand the "it" better, it helps to add a word (It cannot be the case that...).

In an easier form I would say, "There is no way that the man is honest."

Hope that helps!

집에서 편안하게 언어를 배울 수 있는 기회를 놓치지 마세요. 경험 많은 강사진을 살펴보고 지금 바로 첫 수업을 신청하세요!