‘God handed them over to a depraved mind, to do what is unfitting’ (Romans 1:28). When he attacked the…

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‘God handed them over to a depraved mind, to do what is unfitting’ (Romans 1:28).

When he attacked the crimes of the ungodly, he heightened them by using the language of punishments. Showing how deeply his heart, the dwelling of every virtue, recoiled from their shamefulness, he said that such people seemed to him not so much guilty as condemned.

How should we understand God’s handing people over? He hands them over by abandoning them.

‘They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible humanity, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore God handed them over in the desire of their heart to uncleanness’ (Romans 1:23–24).

Latin source witness

Latin

esse nonnulla peccata quae poenae sint etiam peccatorum

Tradidit illos Deus in reprobum sensum, ut faciant quae non conveniunt

Cum inveheretur - inquis - in impiorum crimina, poenarum ea nominibus aggravavit, quantumque pectori suo virtutum omnium domicilio turpitudo horreret ostendens, non tam reos quam damnatos sibi tales ait videri

Quomodo intellegendus sit tradere Deus

eum tradere deserendo

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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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