Page:Terræ-filius- or, the Secret History of the University of Oxford.djvu/22

viii deerved, has immediately a right to a prime Pot, or an overgrown Penion.

Indeed the labourers in the gopel, who came in at the eleventh hour, received every man a penny, as well as thoe, who had borne the heat and burthen of the day; and when the latter repined at this, as an unequal ditribution, they were everely rebuked for it, becaue it did them no wrong. But, if the mater of the vinyard had paid thoe, who came in at that late hour, every man a penny, and had given nothing to thoe, who bore the heat and burthen of the day, I believe it would have been condemn'd in the parable, as a very hard and unjutifiable proceeding.

This, I ay, therefore is training the acred text, and is detructive of all Morality as well as Religion; for it tends to the encouragement of Religion; for it tends to the encouragement of Rebellion and makes Loyalty (intead of being its own reward) become its own punihment.

It were to be wihed indeed, that the tale, political maxim of obliging our Enemies, under the trange uppoition that our Friends will continue to be our Friends, at all events, were as fully exploded in practice, as it is in theory; for though it is univerally condemned by all parties, as ungrateful, bae, and impolitick; yet it has had too much influence in the counels and adminitrations of all Reigns; unles I may be allowed to except the preent.