To Florus 5.16
But let us proceed to what remains. After avoiding Abraham’s example, which I had put forward, he tried to maintain the following about Abimelech. Abimelech is reported to have been healed with his women when Abraham prayed, so that he could return to the work of generation from which a plague had suspended him (Genesis 20:17–18). Augustine says the closing of the women’s wombs may be understood as some pain, rather than removal of sexual desire (Augustine, Marriage and Desire 2.15.30). As though we were urgently insisting that their natural appetite must appear restored! In those testimonies I was content to prove only this: intercourse, which could not occur without sexual desire, was prevented through God’s anger and restored through God’s mercy, whether by obstacles being removed or by the usual stimuli being restored. It is therefore not shown diabolical, but by this very fact belongs to God’s activity. Among the body’s functions it is an ordinary but innocent instrument, wrong not in its kind or proper measure, but only in excess.
Latin
Sed iam pergamus ad reliqua. Postquam ergo Abrahae, quod a me positum fuerat, vitavit exemplum; conatus est asserere, Abimelech quoque, qui orante Abraham ba, cum mulieribus suis sanatus, refertur, ut ad generationis operam, a qua per plagam erat suspensus, posset redire, non detractione libidinis, sed dolore aliquo posse intellegi mulierum vulvam fuisse conclusam [n35] ; quasi a nobis assereretur impendio, ut appetitus eis naturalis redditus videretur; cum ego testimoniis illis id solum probare fuerim contentus, impeditum concubitum, qui sine libidine esse non poterat, per iram Dei, redditumque per indulgentiam Dei, sive amolitis obstaculis, sive irritamentis sollemnibus restitutis; tamen diabolicum non doceri, sed etiam per hoc ad Dei operam pertinentem, qui inter corporis instrumenta mediocria, sed innoxia, non specie, non modo, verum solo peccaret excessu.
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.