To Florus 3.96
But let us return to the book he addressed to Valerius, in which he selected statements from just one of my books for discussion and refutation. In the first book of the present work I had reached those statements of Augustine where his shamelessness was uncovered. Trying to escape the odium of an opinion that would seem to make the devil humanity’s creator, he declared that God is the author of evils and himself creates a substance of such a character that it incurs guilt before it acquires the use of reason, and is placed in the devil’s kingdom by its Creator’s hands.
Latin
Sed revertamur ad librum illum, quem ad Valerium destinavit, in quo decerptas de libro meo uno dumtaxat sententias sibi discutiendas refellendasque proposuit. Et quidem in primo operis praesentis libello usque ad ea Augustini dicta perveneram, quibus retecta impudentia, qua opinionis illius fugiebat invidiam, ne diabolum videretur asserere hominum conditorem, pronuntiavit Deum esse auctorem malorum atque ipsum talis meriti creare substantiam, quae reatum, antequam usum rationis, accipiat et quae in regno diaboli conditoris sui manibus collocetur.
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.