remember what we were of ourselves before we meddled with him or his
laws; and the more we know our feeble nature, and set less by it, the
more we shall conceive and know in our hearts what God hath done for us;
and the more we know what God hath done for us, the less we shall set by
ourselves, and the more we shall love and please God: so that in no
condition we shall either know ourselves or God, except we do utterly
confess ourselves to be mere vileness and corruption. Well, now it is
come unto this point, that we be christian men, christian women, I pray
you what doth Christ require of a christian man, or of a christian woman?
Christ requireth nothing else of a christian man or woman, but that they
will observe his rule: for likewise as he is a good Augustine friar that
keepeth well St. Augustine's rule, so is he a good christian man that
keepeth well Christ's rule.

Now then, what is Christ's rule? Christ's rule consisteth in many
things, as in the commandments, and the works of mercy, and so forth. And
for because I cannot declare Christ's rule unto you at one time, as it
ought to be done, I will apply myself according to your custom at this
time of Christmas: I will, as I said, declare unto you Christ's rule, but
that shall be in Christ's cards. And whereas you are wont to celebrate
Christmas in playing at cards, I intend, by God's grace, to deal unto you
Christ's cards, wherein you shall perceive Christ's rule. The game that
we will play at shall be called the triumph, which, if it be well played
at, he that dealeth shall win; the players shall likewise win; and the
standers and lookers upon shall do the same; insomuch that there is no
man that is willing to play at this triumph with these cards, but they
shall be all winners, and no losers.

Let therefore every christian man and woman play at these cards, that
they may have and obtain the triumph: you must mark also that the triumph