printed and dispersed; books that were so absurd and scurrilous, that
the graver Divines disdained them an answer. And yet these were grown
into high esteem with the common people, till Tom Nash[23] appeared
against them all, who was a man of a sharp wit, and the master of
a scoffing, satirical, merry pen, which he employed to discover
the absurdities of those blind, malicious, senseless pamphlets, and
sermons as senseless as they; Nash's answers being like his books,
which bore these, or like titles: "An Almond for a Parrot;" "A Fig for
my Godson;" "Come crack me this nut," and the like; so that this
merry wit made some sport, and such a discovery of their absurdities,
as--which is strange--he put a greater stop to these malicious
pamphlets, than a much wiser man had been able.

[Sidenote: Mr. Travers]

And now the Reader is to take notice, that at the death of Father
Alvey, who was Master of the Temple, this Walter Travers was
Lecturer there for the Evening Sermons, which he preached with great
approbation, especially of some citizens, and the younger gentlemen of
that Society; and for the most part approved by Mr. Hooker himself,
in the midst of their oppositions. For he continued Lecturer a part of
his time; Mr. Travers being indeed a man of competent learning, of a
winning behaviour, and of a blameless life. But he had taken Orders
by the Presbytery in Antwerp,--and with them some opinions, that could
never be eradicated,--and if in anything he was transported, it was
in an extreme desire to set up that government in this nation; for
the promoting of which he had a correspondence with Theodore Beza at
Geneva, and others in Scotland; and was one of the chiefest assistants
to Mr. Cartwright in that design.

Mr. Travers had also a particular hope to set up this government in
the Temple, and to that end used his most zealous endeavours to be
Master of it; and his being disappointed by Mr. Hooker's admittance,
proved the occasion of a public opposition betwixt them in their
Sermons: many of which were concerning the doctrine and ceremonies
of this Church: insomuch that, as St. Paul withstood St. Peter to his
face, so did they withstand each other in their Sermons: for, as one
hath pleasantly expressed it, "The forenoon Sermon spake Canterbury;
and the afternoon Geneva."

[Sidenote: His petition]

In these Sermons there was little of bitterness, but each party
brought all the reasons he was able to prove his advers