To Florus 1.84
If, then, as reason has disclosed, freedom of choice excludes compulsion, so that no one is either good or evil without being free to be the opposite, how could you acknowledge free choice while about to use a testimony suited to captives? Or how could you append such a testimony after acknowledging free choice? You say: “We do not deny free choice. But Truth says, ‘If the Son sets you free, then you will be truly free’” (John 8:36). It is clear that in that passage Christ addressed a captive conscience. He showed it to be not free, but subject to the punishment that condemns sins committed by free will. You misunderstand that statement, that is, you do not understand it, or perhaps you understand it as applying to yourself, but drag it here against its own nature. You have put it in a place where its whole proper meaning conflicts with your words. Let us join the words themselves: what is set free is captive; what is captive is not free; what is free is not captive.
Latin
Si ergo est, ut ratio prodidit, arbitrii libertas propulsatrix necessitatum, ut nemo sit vel bonus vel malus, cui non sit liberum esse contrarium; quemadmodum tu aut confessus es liberum arbitrium usurus tali testimonio, quod captivis convenit, aut tale testimonium subdidisti, postquam liberum fueras confessus arbitrium? Ais enim: Non negamus arbitrium liberum; sed: " vos Filius liberaverit - ait Veritas - tunc vere liberi eritis " [n193] . Manifestum est Christum in illo loco ad captivam conscientiam verba fecisse; quam liberam non esse prodebat; sed obnoxiam ei ultioni, quae condemnat peccata, libera voluntate commissa. Quam sententiam tu male intellegens, id est, non intellegens, aut forte in te intellegens, et huc natura sua repugnante trahens, in eo posuisti loco, ubi a tuis sermonibus tota sui proprietate discordat. Ut enim ipsa verba iungamus: Quod liberatur, captivum est; quod captivum est, liberum non est; quod liberum est, captivum non est.
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.