Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gray, Hugh
GRAY, HUGH (d. 1604), Gresham professor of divinity, matriculated as a sizar of Trinity College, Cambridge, in May 1574, was elected scholar, and in 1578-9 proceeded B.A. He was elected a fellow on 2 Oct. 1581, and commenced M.A. in 1582. On 8 Jan. 1586-7 he preached a sermon at Great St. Mary's, wherein he asserted that 'the church of England maintained Jewish music, and that to play at dice or cards was to crucify Christ; inveighed against dumbs in the church, and mercenary ministers; insinuated that some in the university sent news to Rome and Rheims; and asserted that the people celebrated the nativity as ethnics, atheists, and epicures.' For this sermon he was convened before the vice-chancellor and heads of colleges. He afterwards made a public explanation, denying the particular application of the passages excepted against (Cooper, Annals of Cambr. ii. 429). He proceeded B.D. in 1589, was created D.D. in 1595, and was in December 1596 an unsuccessful candidate for the Lady Margaret professorship of divinity in his university, receiving twelve votes, while twenty-eight were recorded for Dr. Playfere (ib. ii. 564). On 9 April 1597 he was elected a senior fellow of his college. On 5 Nov. 1600 he was collated to the prebend of Milton Manor in the cathedral of Lincoln, being installed on 12 Dec. following (Le Neve, Fasti, ed. Hardy, ii. 190). He also held the rectory of Meon-Stoke in Hampshire. Gray succeeded Anthony Wotton as Gresham professor of divinity, which office he resigned before 6 July 1604. His death took place in the same month. By his will, dated 20 May 1604, he bequeathed to Trinity College 13l. 6s. 8d. to build a pulpit, and to Gresham College a piece of plate worth 5l., to be in common among all the readers. The lectures which he had read at Gresham College he left to William Jackson, minister of St. Swithin's, London, to be disposed of as he pleased, but they do not appear to have been printed. His manuscript sermon upon Matt. xi. 21, 22, is in the library of the university of Cambridge, Dd. 15, 10 (Cat. i. 539).
[Cooper's Athenae Cantabr. ii. 392-3, 554; Ward's Gresham Professors, p. 44.]