Direct quotation
Against Julian 3.18.35
“And how will God judge the world? For if God’s truth has abounded through my lie to his glory, why am I still judged as a sinner?” (Romans 3:6–7)
By these words the apostle shows that God would have lost the authority to judge if he had not kept within proper bounds in commanding.
The apostle said this to restrain those who maintained that the sins of mortals increase God’s praise, and that he therefore commanded impossible things in order to provide himself with an occasion for mercy. This judgment of the apostle shows that human beings are rightly judged because they failed to do what was possible. They would be judged unjustly if they had failed to do things they were commanded to do but could not do.
Latin
Per haec sua verba Apostolum ostendere, amisisse Deum auctoritatem iudicandi, si modum non tenuit imperandi
ad hoc ista dixit Apostolus, ut sese cohiberent, qui asserebant laudi Dei proficere peccata mortalium, eumque ideo impossibilia praecepisse, ut miserendi sibi materiam praepararet: et per hanc apostolicam sententiam - sicut existimas - demonstratur, propterea recte iudicari homines, quia praecepta possibilia non fecerunt; iniuste autem iudicarentur, si ea non fecissent, quae impossibilia iuberentur
About this text
Earlier four-book work to Turbantius, surviving as excerpts arranged by Augustine’s witness. Latin source text is on each section when recovered.
English follows Julian’s words as Augustine excerpts them in Against Julian. This is not a recovered complete To Turbantius.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Augustine, Against Julian (Latin · Excerpts arranged by Augustine’s books)
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.