To Florus 5.17
Since enough has been said about this, let us hasten to the arguments Mani once cleverly advanced concerning natural evil—although, as I shall prove, he was deceived by tangled questions. First, however, let us briefly examine what Augustine replied to the apostle’s testimony. I had said that blessed Paul’s testimony proved most clearly that God, the creator of bodies, instituted the familiar activity of the sexes. Denouncing the shameful acts of those whose madness had plunged them even into intercourse with the male sex, Paul says: ‘Abandoning the natural use of the female, they burned in their own desires’ (Romans 1:27). I inferred, with the apostle as witness, that intercourse with the female is shown to have been naturally instituted.
In response this man writes: ‘The apostle did not say “marital use” but “natural use.” He meant that which takes place with organs created so that the two sexes can unite through them for generation. Consequently, when someone unites with a prostitute using the same organs, it is natural use, yet not praiseworthy but blameworthy. This term, “natural use,” therefore did not praise marital union. It identified acts more unclean and criminal than if they had used women unlawfully but nevertheless naturally’ (Augustine, Marriage and Desire 2.20.35). That is: this intercourse with the female which the apostle called natural is not understood as marital, so as to be shown good and lawful. Rather, he says, it is called natural because it indicates that the difference of sex was instituted to prepare both for union and for birth. Since these exertions gained him nothing, why did he spend so long on them? Certainly only so that his followers might think a point answered merely because they saw it touched. A brief argument will show how he said nothing. The apostle says intercourse with the female was naturally instituted; he did not commend some different union originally ordained. Discussing the intercourse in which he knew sexual desire had flourished at every period, he called it natural.
Latin
De quo quoniam satis actum est, ad illa properemus, quae super naturali malo Manichaeus olim acute, sed, ut probabo, perplexitate quaestionum deceptus obiecit. Breviter tamen prius, quid Augustinus contra Apostoli testimonium retulerit, ventilemus. Ego ergo cum notam istam operam sexuum a Deo auctore corporum institutam, etiam beati Pauli testimonio apertissime dixissem probari, qui invectus in flagitia eorum, quos in virilis quoque sexus concubitum praecipitarat insania, ait: Relicto naturali usu feminae, accensi sunt in desideria sua [n39] ; intuli Apostolo teste, approbari usum feminae naturaliter institutum. Ad hoc ergo iste rescribens: Non dixit, inquit, Apostolus coniugalem usum, sed naturalem, eum volens intellegi qui fit membris ad hoc creatis, ut per ea possit ad generandum sexus uterque misceri; ac per hoc, cum eisdem membris etiam meretrici quisque miscetur, naturalis est usus, nec tamen laudabilis, sed culpabilis. Non ergo isto nomine, id est, usu naturali, coniugalis est laudata commixtio; sed immundiora et sceleratiora flagitia denotata sunt, quam si illicite feminis, sed tamen naturaliter uterentur [n40] . Id est, hic usus feminae quem pronuntiavit Apostolus naturalem, non intellegitur coniugalis, ut bonus licitusque doceatur; sed ideo, inquit, dictus est naturalis, quia diversitatem sexus ad hoc indicat institutam, ut et commixtui pararetur et partui. Queis molitionibus cum iuvaretur nihil, cur tantum immoratus est? Profecto ob hoc solum, ut hi qui eum sequuntur, solutum putent quod viderint fuisse contactum; ceterum quam nihil dixerit, brevis disputatio palam faciet. Nempe Apostolus feminae usum ait naturaliter institutum, nec commendavit alteram commixtionem primitus ordinatam; sed de eo usu disputans, in quo libidinem cunctis noverat viguisse temporibus, naturalem illam vocavit.
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.