H. Gray

H. Gray was a puritanical minister in Cambridge, and one of the preachers to the university. He delivered a sermon in St. Mary's church, January 8, 1586, in which he was charged with asserting the following opinions:—" That the church of England doth maintain Jewish music, contrary to the word of God, which alone ought to sound in his church.—That it is contrary to the same word, to use in sermons the testimonies of doctors and profane writers.— That to play at dice or cards is to crucify Christ.—That there are in this church dumb dogs, Jereboam's priests, and Chemarins, that have place at the upper end of the altar, which by the word should have no place in the church.— That it is thought there be some among us who send over news to Rome and Rheims, and would have us all murdered. —That whoever would, might fill his hand, and be minister among us, as in the time of Jereboam ; whereby it cometh to pass that some go about the country to offer their service for ten pounds a year and a canvas doublet.—And that we celebrate the joyful time of the nativity throughout the land as atheists and epicures, "j

For these assertions, alleged against hiin, he appears to have been called before the ruling ecclesiastics, when he gave the following answers to the various accusations:— " Concerning music, I had no set treatise against it, but only I made this simile, that set music and its curious notes is an imitation of the Jewish music ; and because it is not understood, it may delight, but not edify: so affected and curious eloquence, which the people cannot understand, may affect and delight the outward sense, but it cannot enter

• Strype's Annals, vol. ii. p. 434. t MS. Register, p. 385, 58S.

t Baker's MS. Collec. vol.xxx. p. 294.

and descend into the heart.—Concerning citing of fathers and profane authors, I did not teach that it was simply unlawful; but when we are to teach the simple people, and to instruct and build the conscience, we are not to stuff our sermons with authorities of fathers or sentences of profane writers.—Concerning carding and dicing, I spake only against the unlawful use of it, and shewed the abuse of the celebration of the nativity.—I said that we have dumb dogs, and some such as were once Chemarins, when I did not, neither was it my purpose to, enter any question whether they might, or might not, lawfully be ministers.—I said, it is thought there be some among us, who are not of us, who lurk here to spy out what is done, that they may give notice to Rome; and they lie among us, that they may point out and set forth which of us should first go to the fire, when the days of mourning for Jacob should come : where I desire that my meaning may be thus interpreted, that I did not notice particulars, but spake only upon the probable suspicion, to stir us up to be diligent in searching whether there be any papists among us, who are the Lord's and her majesty's enemies.—1 said, for want of restraint, every man may fill his hand, and consecrate himself, alluding to 2 Chron. xiii. I would have this to be considered, that in citing or alluding to any place, every word is not to be observed, but the drift and purpose for which it is alleged. —I said, that we have some ministers who are not worthy to stand in the belfrey, but they sit at the end of the altar. I protest this to have been my meaning, that those who were altogether unfit for the ministry, did supply the places of those who ought to have been learned ministers."*

These were Mr. Gray's answers to the foregoing accusations. But it does not appear what prosecution was entered against him.