To Florus · §3.103 · Julian of Eclanum

To Florus 3.103

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But stripped of the substance of catholic faith, you put on its name alone like a thin cloak. You want us to believe that you too hold what catholics confess: that humans have free will and God creates newborn children. If you said this straightforwardly and faithfully, end the dispute by falling silent. Let the reputation of accusers return to us for having charged you with what your confident denial has erased. Add only this to your declaration: if any sect or argument is found trying by some reasoning to overthrow this twofold confession, which you have professed catholic, it is either not yours or no longer defended by you.

If you prefer to defend by substantial argument your denial of the positions in question, explain the definitions of free will and surround its boundaries, as with markers, by precise distinctions.

Latin source witness

Latin

Verum quia fidei catholicae, cuius solido nudatus es, quasi amiculum tenue, solum nomen assumis, vis nos credere etiam a te hoc teneri, quod catholici confitentur, id est et liberum arbitrium esse in hominibus et Deum nascentium conditorem. Sed si hoc a te simpliciter fideliterque prolatum est, finem certamini impone silentio; fama ad nos criminantium recurrat, qui id obiecerimus tibi, quod secura negatione deleveris. Hoc solum huic adde sententiae, si qua inventa fuerit secta, si qua disputatio, quae hanc duplicem confessionem, quam catholicam esse professus es, aliqua conetur argumentatione convellere, aut tuam non esse aut a te ulterius non defendi. Si autem iuvat ea, quae dicturus es negasse, locupleti etiam disputatione defendere, explica definitiones liberi arbitrii et fines eius distinctionibus absolutis quasi quibusdam cinge limitibus.