To Turbantius — fragments in Against Julian — Book 1
Julian of Eclanum (c. 386–c. 455) was bishop of Eclanum in southern Italy until 418, when he was deposed and exiled for refusing to condemn Pelagius. The most learned Pelagian controversialist, he pursued Augustine across a decade of pamphlet war.
None of Julian's works survives directly; what remains is preserved in the long quotations of Augustine, who answered him book by book. Reconstructed from those hostile pages, Julian emerges as a formidable defender of free will, marriage, and the goodness of creation.
This volume gathers the surviving arguments: the six books To Florus with the earlier fragments and letter material, each with its source locator.
“Evil is not a substance, but a way of behaving that comes solely from the will.” “Those who have brought…§§1.5.16–1.7.30
1.5.16“Evil is not a substance, but a way of behaving that comes solely from the will.”
“Those who have brought the sickness of their conduct upon themselves by their own will.”
“This way of behaving, which arises as something added, can very easily be separated from the will of those who are sick.”
“If evil had arisen in such a way that it could no longer be removed from the will—that is, if, although it was something added, it had been added in a way that made it impossible ever to separate it from the will—one could rightly say that evil was not a substance, but that the substance itself could no longer exist without the evil added to it. But if evil was added, and the starting point of its addition was the will rather than the substance, evil can easily be separated from the substance. Then the substance subject to the will can be kept completely pure, so that not even any traces of evil remain.”
1.5.17“If chastity is a virtue, but the body were evil in its very substance, it would be impossible to find a chaste body. A body belonging to shameful conduct could not become a body belonging to virtue. But when it is made holy, it becomes a body of virtue. Thus virtue shares in the body, and the body in virtue; through virtue it also becomes God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). If every body belonged to sexual immorality, it would certainly be impossible to find chastity in bodies. Only then could we count evil as belonging to the very nature of bodies. But if the body has attained such worth, has been adorned with so much honor, and has put on such a garment of purity that it deserves to be its Maker’s house and becomes the bridal chamber of God’s Son—so that the Father and the Son are pleased to come and choose bodies as their dwelling (John 14:23)—how can the Manichaean claim fail to be exposed as detestable and absurd?”
1.6.21Saint John of Constantinople denies that there is original sin in infants. In the homily he gave about those who had been baptized, he says:
“Blessed is God, who alone has done wonders (Psalm 72:18), who made everything and transforms everything. Look: those who were captives a little while ago now enjoy the peace of freedom. Those who wandered as strangers are now citizens of the church (Ephesians 2:19). Those who were in the confusion of sin now share in righteousness. They are not only free, but holy; not only holy, but righteous; not only righteous, but sons; not only sons, but heirs; not only heirs, but Christ’s brothers; not only Christ’s brothers, but fellow heirs (Romans 8:15–17); not only fellow heirs, but members of his body (1 Corinthians 12:27); not only members, but a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19); not only a temple, but instruments of the Spirit.
“You see how many gifts baptism gives. Some people think that heavenly grace consists only in the forgiveness of sins. We, however, have counted ten honors. This is why we baptize infants too, although they are not stained by sin: so that holiness, righteousness, adoption, inheritance, and brotherhood with Christ may be added to them, and so that they may be his members.”
1.7.29Since it is plainly clear that this is the sound and true position, supported first by reason and then by the authority of Scripture, and always upheld by the learning of holy men—who did not give truth its authority by agreeing with it, but received a good testimony and glory from sharing in it—let no prudent person be disturbed by a conspiracy of the lost.
1.7.30One man has come forward who wants people to think that the whole battle depends on him.
You oppose us with only the crowd’s murmuring.§§1.7.31–1.9.44
1.7.31You oppose us with only the crowd’s murmuring.
1.7.32This position cannot find a defender among so large a multitude.
1.8.39Since, according to the Gospel’s judgment, a tree should be recognized by its fruits (Matthew 7:16–18), should this man be listened to when he says that marriage is good, yet declares that nothing but evil comes from it?
1.8.40Evil things cannot come from good things.
1.8.41Sin cannot be transmitted through nature, because the devil’s work is not allowed to pass through God’s work.
1.9.42Original sin has disappeared, because the root of evil cannot be placed in what you call a gift of God.
1.9.43The nature of things does not allow evil to be brought forth from good, or anything unjust from what is just.
1.9.44That from which, and through which, bad fruit has appeared must itself be evil.