When these are shown to be God’s gifts, we learn from whom they must be sought if we lack them, and to…

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When these are shown to be God’s gifts, we learn from whom they must be sought if we lack them, and to whom thanks must be given if we have them.

Thanks are given not about the origin of desire — as you say — but about its governance. Yet you say both “governance” and “origin.”

Latin source witness

Latin

quia cum dona Dei esse ista monstrantur, a quo petenda sunt discitur, si non habentur; et cui agendae gratiae, si habentur

non de origine - ut dicis - concupiscentiae

sed de regimine

vel regimine vel origine

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About this text

Julian’s earlier work To Turbantius, in four books, survives only in the excerpts Augustine quotes in his six-book reply, Against Julian. The excerpts are grouped here by those six books. Latin source text is on each section when recovered.

Julian of Eclanum (c. 386–c. 455) was bishop of Eclanum in southern Italy until 418, when he was deposed and exiled for refusing to condemn Pelagius. The most learned Pelagian controversialist, he pursued Augustine across a decade of pamphlet war.

None of Julian's works survives directly; what remains is preserved in the long quotations of Augustine, who answered him book by book. Reconstructed from those hostile pages, Julian emerges as a formidable defender of free will, marriage, and the goodness of creation.

English follows Julian’s words as Augustine excerpts them in Against Julian. This is not a recovered complete To Turbantius.

Printed text used

Translated from Augustine, Against Julian (Latin · Excerpts arranged by Augustine’s books)

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Latin on any section, or the Latin source link, to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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