To Florus 4.95
Let the thoughtful and attentive hearer weigh what you answered me. We are certainly discussing infants, who possess no will of their own minds. The question is through what they are under the devil, when God made them and you agree that they themselves have done nothing evil. You proclaimed that they belong to the demon’s jurisdiction because of sin, not because of nature. My reply rose against this: “But just as offspring cannot exist without the sexes, so an offense cannot exist without will.” (Romans 5:12) You answered, “Indeed, that is so”—that is, an offense cannot exist without will. But after confirming this, with what shamelessness did you add, “Yet through one man sin entered the world, through that one man’s will” (compare Romans 5:12)?
Latin
Quid igitur mihi responderis prudens et sollicitus auditor expendat. De parvulis certe agimus, quibus nulla propriae mentis adest voluntas, de quibus quaeritur per quid sint sub diabolo, quos Deus fecit, cum nihil mali ipsos egisse consentias. Tu eos concionatus es, ad ius daemonis propter peccatum, non propter naturam pertinere. Ad hoc insurrexit nostra responsio: Sed ut non potest esse sine sexibus fetus, ita nec sine voluntate delictum. Ad quod tu retulisti: Ita vero, ita est; id est, non potest esse sine voluntate delictum. Verum qui hoc confirmaveras, qua impudentia subdidisti: Sed per unum hominem peccatum intravit in mundum, per unius illius voluntatem?
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.