To Florus 2.119
For the apostle declares, ‘But grace is from many offenses to justification’ (Romans 5:16). You say this cannot hold for infants but is fulfilled only in adults, because by the movement of their own will they have added other sins to that one. You therefore undoubtedly confess that grace operates differently according to the differences among those who approach it. In those who exercise their own will, it finds material for glory, since it leads those it adopts from many crimes into justification. But in infants, according to you, in a leaner, narrower, poorer fashion—with no great power, no adequate medicine, no intact honor, and no secure modesty—it promises to remove that one sin which it should not even have imputed, and tries to send those it frees from that one sin into justification.
Latin
Nam cum Apostolus pronuntiat: Gratia autem ex multis delictis in iustificationem [n160] , et hoc tu dicis in parvulis quidem non posse constare, in illis autem, qui iam perfectae aetatis sunt, solis ideo impleri, quia ad unum illud alia quoque motu propriae voluntatis addiderint, confiteris sine dubio diversam esse operationem gratiae pro diversitate venientium. In his quippe, qui motu propriae voluntatis utuntur, suppetit ei materia gloriandi, quia ex multis criminibus in iustificationem, quos adoptarit, educit; in parvulis autem secundum te ieiunius, angustius, exilius nec virtute magna nec medicina idonea nec honestate salva nec pudore securo unum illud peccatum se promittit auferre, quod nec debuit imputare, et ex hoc uno, quos liberat, in iustificationem conatur emittere.
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.