To Florus 1.66
You tried to make this union seem so accursed that you would have us understand that Christ chose to be born of a virgin mother, not for the splendor of the sign, but to condemn the union of the sexes (compare Matthew 1:18–23; Luke 1:34–35). What could anyone ever have said more wickedly or shamelessly than this? You distinguished two apparent kings contending for the possession of humanity, and their two kingdoms, by saying that whatever marriage produced belonged to the devil, while only what the Virgin bore belonged to God. What else does this do but represent the one who made the Virgin fruitful as utterly impoverished by the smallness of his share, and deny that he is the Creator of human beings who come from marriage? Let the careful reader retain the written acknowledgment supplied by your own words, then, and know that you, a faithful disciple of the Manichaeans and leader of the advocates of inherited sin, have condemned nothing other than the union of lawful marriage (Matthew 1:18–23) (Luke 1:34–35) (Matthew 1:18–23; Luke 1:34–35).
Latin
Quam commixtionem ita exsecrabilem persuadere conatus es, ut velis intellegi Christum, non propter signi splendorem, sed propter damnandam sexuum coniunctionem nasci de virgine matre voluisse. Quid ergo umquam a quoquam dici improbius aut impudentius potuit, quam hoc, quod duos velut reges de humanitatis possessione certantes his signis, et duo eorum regna separasti, ut diceres, dia li esse quidquid nuptiae protulissent, Dei vero solum quod Virgo peperisset? Quid est aliud, Virginis fecundatorem et egentissimum ostendere inopia portionis suae, et eumdem negare eorum qui prodeunt de nuptiis hominum conditorem? Teneat igitur verbi tui lector diligens chirographum, sciatque te, discipulum fidelem Manichaeorum et Traducianae nationis primatem, nihil aliud quam commixtionem legitimi damnasse coniugii.
About this text
Julian’s six preserved books to Florus, quoted section by section in Augustine’s unfinished reply. Augustine’s refutations are omitted. Latin of Julian’s words is on each section.
Julian’s own books do not survive as a separate manuscript. English follows his words as Augustine quotes them in the Unfinished Work Against Julian. Augustine’s replies are omitted. We do not restore a Julian text independent of Augustine.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Augustine, Unfinished Work Against Julian (Latin · Julian’s words as quoted, Books 1–6)
- Checked print Augustinus.it Latin of the Unfinished Work (Latin · Same work)
- Checked print Migne PL 45 (Latin · Hard cases)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.