and so forth:  which, if we do keep and observe according to our profession, we shall answer better unto this question, “Who art thou?” than we did before.  For before thou didst enter into the sacrament of baptism, thou wert but a natural man, a natural woman; as I might say, a man, a woman:  but after thou takest on thee Christ’s religion, thou hast a longer name; for then thou art a christian man, a christian woman.  Now then, seeing thou art a christian man, what shall be thy answer of this question, “Who art thou?”

The answer of this question is, when I ask it unto myself, I must say that I am a christian man, a christian woman, the child of everlasting joy, through the merits of the bitter passion of Christ.  This is a joyful answer.  Here we may see how much we be bound and in danger unto God, that hath revived us from death to life, and saved us that were damned:  which great benefit we cannot well consider, unless we do 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.