Direct quotation
Against Julian 3.19.36
Complete ignorance should be understood to be called righteousness, because God said to Abimelech, who was about to lie with Sarah without knowing that she was another man’s wife: “I too knew that you did this with a clean heart” (Genesis 20:6). Thus the condition of those who are born is not harmed by the will of those who conceive them. Even if that will were evil, it would not come within the children’s knowledge in any way.
Infants are born neither righteous nor unrighteous; their own actions will make them so. Infancy is simply rich with the gift of innocence.
A human being is therefore born full of innocence, but capable of virtue, and will deserve praise or blame according to the purpose subsequently chosen.
Latin
Ex hoc intellegi debere perfectam ignorantiam iustitiam nominari, quia dixit Deus ad Abimelech, qui cum Sarra fuerat concubiturus, ignorans quod uxor esset aliena: Et ego sciebam quia in corde mundo fecisti hoc [n49] . Et ideo nascentium statum, generantium voluntate non laedi: quia etsi mala esset - inquis - tamen ad illorum nullo genere scientiam perveniret
Nec iustos nasci parvulos, nec iniustos, quod futuri sunt actibus suis; sed tantummodo infantiam innocentiae dote locupletem?
Homo igitur innocentia quidem plenus, sed virtutis capax nascitur, aut laudem, aut reprehensionem ex proposito accedente, meriturus
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.