XX.  But some will say, What shall I gain, if, when I am preoccupied by baptism, and have cut off myself by my haste from the pleasures of life, when it was in my power to give the reins to pleasure, and then to obtain grace?  For the labourers in the vineyard who had worked the longest time gained nothing thereby, for equal wages were given to the very last. Matt. xx. 1 sq.  You have delivered me from some trouble, whoever you are who say this, because you have at last with much difficulty told the secret of your delay; and though I cannot applaud your shiftiness, I do applaud your confession.  But come hither and listen to the interpretation of the parable, that you may not be injured by Scripture for want of information.  First of all, there is no question here of baptism, but of those who believe at different times and enter the good vineyard of the Church.  For from the day and hour at which each believed, from that day and hour he is required to work.  And then, although they who entered first contributed more to the measure of the labour yet they did not contribute more to the measure of the purpose; nay perhaps even more was due to the last in respect of this, though the statement may seem paradoxical.  For the cause of their later entrance was their later call to the work of the vineyard.  In all other respects let us see how different they are.  The first did not believe or enter till they had agreed on their hire; but the others came forward to do the work without an agreement, which is a proof of greater faith.  And the first were found to be of an envious and murmuring nature, but no such charge is brought against the others.  And to the first, that which was given was wages, though they were worthless fellows; to the last it was the free gift.  So that the first were convicted of folly, and with reason deprived of the greater reward.  Let us see what would have happened to them if they had been late.  Why, the equal pay, evidently.  How then can they blame the employer as unjust because of their equality?  For all these things take away the merit of their labour from the first, although they were at work first; and therefore it turns out that the distribution of equal pay was just, if you measure the good will against the labour.