To Florus 5.7
Passing over these points, then, he accuses me of not saying ‘with lust.’ He adds, as befits his doctrine’s sharpness: ‘The fruitful production of children is a gift to the devout, not the shameful union of bodily parts. A healthy nature would not have had this in begetting children, but that same nature, now corrupted, does have it. Consequently, the one born from it needs to be reborn’ (Augustine, Marriage and Desire 2.25). How consistent it all is! He calls children’s existence a gift to the devout, but places under the devil what he affirms God gives: the children. Sexual desire, however, which is in the shameful union of bodily parts, he calls diabolical. He does not deny its presence in the parents, yet acquits them of guilt. Would you say this man was born of a human being? What the parents do, he says, is diabolical, yet they are not guilty. What the children are by being born is God’s work, yet they are guilty. And he still thinks he has fought the demon rather than God! Those who think sin is natural thoroughly deserve to suffer this madness.
Latin
Istis ergo praetermissis, accusat cur non dixerim: " cum libidine "; subditque, ut dogmatis eius acumen decebat: " Munus piorum, propagatio est fecunda filiorum, non commixtio pudenda membrorum; quam non haberet in generandis filiis natura sana, nunc autem habet eadem natura vitiata. Ac per hoc, et qui inde nascitur, indiget renasci " [n16] . Quam consequenter omnia! Munus dicit piorum, existentiam filiorum; sed hoc constituit sub diabolo, quod Deum dare confirmat, id est, filios. Libidinem autem, quae est in pudenda commixtione membrorum, diabolicam vocat; quam in parentibus esse non abnuit, quos tamen absolvit a culpa. Ex homine hunc natum dicas? Quod agunt, inquit, parentes, diabolicum est, sed rei non sunt; quod nascuntur filii, divinum opus est, sed rei sunt. Et adhuc se non Deo, sed daemoni aestimat obluctatum? Meritissime patiuntur istum furorem, qui putant esse naturale peccatum.
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.