To Florus 2.186
Those to whom a law was not given should thus be understood not to have transgressed commands. Yet they are convicted as guilty because, neglecting the reason to which each person’s own feelings bear witness, they violated the rights of human society or of decency. They are therefore said to have sinned by imitating one another, but not by transgressing a law not yet given. Until the law, then, there was sin, not transgression; after the law, not only sin but also transgression. Eternal death reigned, which God had promised to assign to Adam if he sinned (Genesis 2:17). Thus that death owed to sin, that punitive death, reigned before the law over those who sinned: for example, the Sodomites, those destroyed at the time of the flood, and people of various ages destroyed because of wickedness—voluntary wickedness, however (Genesis 6:5–7; Genesis 7:21–23; Genesis 19:24–25). It also reigned after the law over those it found guilty of transgression (Genesis 6:5–7) (Genesis 7:21–23) (Genesis 19:24–25).
Latin
Ut quibus lex data non est, intellegantur non esse praecepta transgressi, rei autem convincantur, quoniam neglegentes rationem, quam proprii in unoquoque protestantur affectus, vel humanae societatis vel pudoris iura temeraverint; atque ideo mutua quidem imitatione, non tamen legis, quae necdum lata erat, dicuntur transgressione peccasse, usque ad legem ergo peccatum fuit, non praevaricatio, post legem autem non solum peccatum, sed etiam praevaricatio. Regnavit autem mors aeterna, quam Adae, si peccasset, ascripturum se Deus spoponderat. Igitur illa mors peccato debita, mors poenalis, regnavit et ante legem in eos, qui peccaverunt, sicut in Sodomitis et in his, qui diluvii tempore propter iniquitatem, voluntariam tamen, vel varia sunt aetate consumpti, regnavit et post legem in his, quos reos praevaricationis invenit.
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.