To Florus · §2.221

To Florus 2.221

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In this sense, then, the offense is rightly said to have abounded: each person’s will committed it both before and after the law, but before the law the will was sinful, while after the law it was also transgressive. Something grows and abounds when it gains increase within its own kind, just as after Moses the additional weight of transgression was added to the sin of free will. For it belonged to the same kind, though at a different time: an evil will which sinned both before and after the law, not through irresistible compulsion, but through blameworthy effort. Since this is so, nothing in the apostle’s words can fit your position. The coming of the law is not shown to have made inherited sin more abundant or greater. Nor can something plainly unrelated to newborn children’s will rightly be said to abound through sins of will. Therefore what the law could neither prohibit nor punish did not abound after the law. ‘But where sin abounded, grace abounded beyond it, so that, just as sin reigned into death, grace might reign through righteousness into eternal life’ (Romans 5:20–21).

Latin source witness

Latin

Iure igitur hoc genere dicitur abundasse delictum, quod et ante legem et post legem uniuscuiusque committebat voluntas; sed ante legem peccatrix, post legem autem etiam praevaricatrix. Tunc ergo crescit et abundat aliquid, cum in genere suo colligit incrementa, sicut peccato liberae voluntatis post Moysen cumulus transgressionis accessit; de eodem enim genere fuit, licet in tempore diverso, id est de mala voluntate, quae et ante legem et post legem non coactu insuperabili, sed studio vituperabili deliquit. Quae cum ita sint, tibi nihil potest de apostolicis convenire verbis; neque enim subintroeunte lege peccatum traducis aut copiosius factum docetur aut grandius; nec peccatis voluntatis illud abundare iure dicitur, quod ad nascentium voluntatem nequaquam attinere monstratur. Non ergo abundavit post legem, quod lex nec prohibere potuit nec punire. Ubi autem abundavit peccatum, superabundavit gratia, ut sicut regnavit peccatum in mortem, ita gratia regnet per iustitiam in vitam aeternam [n369] .

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.