Sermons on the Card | Page 7

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 must apply to fetch home unto him all the other cards,
whatsoever suit they be of. Now then, take ye this first card, which
must appear and be shewed unto you as followeth: you have heard what
was spoken to men of the old law, "Thou shalt not kill; whosoever shall
kill shall be in danger of judgment: but I say unto you" of the new law,
saith Christ, "that whosoever is angry with his neighbour, shall be in
danger of judgment; and whosoever shall say unto his neighbour,
'Raca,' that is to say, brainless," or any other like word of rebuking,
"shall be in danger of council; and whosoever shall say unto his
neighbour, 'Fool,' shall be in danger of hell- fire." This card was made
and spoken by Christ, as appeareth in the fifth chapter of St. Matthew.
Now it must be noted, that whosoever shall play with this card, must
first, before they play with it, know the strength and virtue of the same:
wherefore you must well note and mark terms, how they be spoken,
and to what purpose. Let us therefore read it once or twice, that we may
be the better acquainted with it.
Now behold and see, this card is divided into four parts: the first part is
one of the commandments that was given unto Moses in the old law,
before the coming of Christ; which commandment we of the new law
be bound to observe and keep, and it is one of our commandments. The
other three parts spoken by Christ be nothing else but expositions unto
the first part of this commandment: for in very effect all these four parts
be but one commandment, that is to say, "Thou shalt not kill." Yet
nevertheless, the last three parts do shew unto thee how many ways
thou mayest kill thy neighbour contrary to this commandment: yet, for
all Christ's exposition in the three last parts of this card, the terms be
not open enough to thee that dost read and hear them spoken. No doubt,
the Jews understood Christ well enough, when he spake to them these
three last sentences; for he spake unto them in their own natural terms
and tongue. Wherefore, seeing that these terms were natural terms of
the Jews, it shall be necessary to expound them, and compare them

unto some like terms of our natural speech, that we, in like manner,
may understand Christ as well as the Jews did. We will begin first with
the first part of this card, and then after, with the other three parts. You
must therefore understand that the Jews and the Pharisees of the old
law, to whom this first part, this commandment, "Thou shalt not kill,"
was spoken, thought it sufficient and enough for their discharge, not to
kill with any manner of material weapon, as sword, dagger, or with any
such weapon; and they thought it no great fault whatsoever they said or
did by their neighbours, so that they did not harm or meddle with their
corporal bodies: which was a