To Florus 1.69
“To arrive at this mention of human misery and divine grace, the apostle had said earlier: ‘I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind and taking me captive in the law of sin’ (Romans 7:23). After these words he exclaimed: ‘Who will rescue me from the body of this death? God's grace through Jesus Christ our Lord’” (Romans 7:24–25). It is indeed established that after the preceding words you quoted, the apostle added: “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body of this death? God's grace through Jesus Christ our Lord.” But at present we are not asking whether the apostle said this. We are asking with what belief, meaning, and reasoning he said it. By the law in his members he meant an evil habit that, through the practice of shameful deeds, rebels against holy intentions, at least in the beginning of amendment. Even learned people of this world commonly call habit a second nature.
A little earlier, addressing his readers reproachfully, he had said: “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you presented your members to serve impurity and lawlessness leading to lawlessness, so now present your members to serve righteousness leading to sanctification” (Romans 6:19). To show that by “flesh” he figuratively meant vices, not this body whose causes lie in seed, he adds perhaps two passages later: “When we were in the flesh, the passions of sins which are disclosed through the Law worked in our members to bear fruit for death” (Romans 7:5). He said, “When we were in the flesh”, as though he were not in the flesh at the time he was speaking. But whoever knows Scripture recognizes this manner of expression. Where a shared use of words creates a difficulty, therefore, apply the rule of reason, and let what seemed bent be straightened against its level.
Faustus, bishop of the Manichaeans and your teacher, relies especially on this testimony of the apostle against us. He says that by these words about a law dwelling in the members and resisting the mind's purpose, the apostle meant nothing other than an evil nature. Nothing, therefore, was less appropriate for you than to understand this passage as they explain it. Otherwise, as you follow the same twisted lines Faustus drew, you seem not to have argued a case but to have recited old lessons.
Latin
Ut autem ad istam commemorationem humanae miseriae et divinae gratiae veniret Apostolus supra dixerat: Video aliam legem in membris meis, repugnantem legi mentis meae, et captivantem me in lege peccati [n155] ; post haec verba exclamavit: Quis me liberabit de corpore mortis huius? Gratia Dei per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum [n156] . Constat quidem praemissis illis quae posuisti, subdidisse Apostolum: Miser ego homo, quis me liberabit de corpore mortis huius? Gratia Dei per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Sed non quaerimus impraesentiarum, utrum hoc Apostolus dixerit; verum qua fide, quo sensu, qua ratione dixerit quaerimus. Ille enim in membris legem per flagitiorum usum sanctis consiliis inter principia tamen emendationis rebellem, consuetudinem malam vocabat, quae ab eruditis etiam saeculi dici solet secunda natura. Ante pauca enim eos, ad quos loquitur, cum exprobratione conveniens dixerat: Humanum est quod dico, propter infirmitatem carnis vestrae; sicut enim exhibuistis membra vestra servire immunditiae et iniquitati ad iniquitatem; ita nunc exhibete membra vestra servire iustitiae in sanctificationem [n157] . Utque ostenderet quia carnem, non hoc corpus quod causas in seminibus habet, sed vitia abusive vocaret; post duo capita fortasse subiungit: Cum essemus in carne, passiones peccatorum quae per legem ostenduntur, operabantur in membris nostris, ut fructificarent morti [n158] . Sic dixit: Cum essemus in carne, quasi eo tempore cum disputaret, in carne non esset; sed qui Scripturas novit, genus hoc elocutionis agnoscit. Et ideo, ubi verborum communitas ingerit quaestionem, adhibeatur regula rationis, ad cuius aequalitatem, quae putabantur deflexisse, tendantur. Ceterum Faustus, Manichaeorum episcopus, praeceptor tuus, hoc vel maxime Apostoli testimonio contra nos nititur, dicens ab eo nihil aliud his sermonibus, legis videlicet quae repugnans consilio in membris habitet, quam naturam malam significatam fuisse. Unde nihil minus a te fieri debuit, quam hic locus sic intellegi, quomodo ab illis exponitur, ne, cum per easdem lineas, quas Faustus torsit, ingrederis, non disputasse, sed praeterita reddidisse videaris.
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.