You praised continence in the Christian age not to kindle people toward virginity, but to condemn the good…

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You praised continence in the Christian age not to kindle people toward virginity, but to condemn the good of marriage established by God.

If you sincerely invite people to pursue continence, then you acknowledge that those who will it can maintain chastity’s virtue, so that whoever wishes may be holy in body and spirit (compare 1 Corinthians 7:34).

Latin source witness

Latin

Ob hoc a me christiani temporis continentiam fuisse laudatam, non ut ad virginitatem incenderentur homines, sed ut bonum nuptiarum quod a Deo institutum est damnaretur

Si fideliter invitas homines ad studium continentiae, fateris ergo ita virtutem pudicitiae a volentibus posse servari, ut sit, quicumque voluerit, corpore sanctus et spiritu

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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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