To Florus 5.39
Not content to win in only one way, I will expose the falsehood of the argument whose impiety I have revealed. When you wrote, ‘An evil will could arise in God’s work not because it was made by God, but because it was made from nothing’ (Augustine, Marriage and Desire 2.28.48), you should have seen how powerfully the examples of other creatures argue against you. They too were brought forth from nothing, yet are incapable of an evil will. Indeed, the elements themselves, which truly were made from nothing, can have no consciousness of any will, so as to attest through evil movements the necessity of their origin. Living creatures, however, and the other things filling the world, came forth not from nothing but from something already existing. Where, then, is the power of ancient emptiness that compelled an evil will to exist, when it is clear that no being except a rational creature can sin?
Latin
Verum non uno modo vicisse con tentus, argumenti tui, cuius impietatem prodidi, coarguam falsitatem. Cum ergo scriberes: Non ideo potuit oriri voluntas mala in opere Dei, quia a Deo factum est; sed ideo quia de nihilo factum est [n75] ; videre debueras, quam valenter aliarum creaturarum exempla praescriberent, quae totidem productae de nihilo, malae tamen voluntatis capaces non sunt. Postremo ipsa elementa, quae vere sunt facta ex nihilo, non alicuius voluntatis conscientiam queunt habere, ut motibus malis protestentur originis suae necessitatem. Animantes autem, et reliqua queis impletus est orbis, non de nihilo, ceterum iam ex aliquo prodierunt. Ubi est ergo vis inanitatis antiquae, quae malam voluntatem coegit existere; cum praeter rationabile animal, neminem peccare posse manifestum sit?
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.