Henry Airay (6 October 1616), was an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

priest,

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, and academic. Airay was born at

Kentmere Kentmere is a valley, village and civil parish in the Lake District National Park, a few miles from Kendal in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. Historically in Westmorland, at the 2011 census Kentmere had a population of 159. ...

, near

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...

. His date of birth is uncertain. His father was William Airay, a favored servant of

Bernard Gilpin Bernard Gilpin (1517 – 4 March 1583), was an Oxford theologian and then an influential clergyman in the emerging Church of England spanning the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Jane, Mary and Elizabeth I. He was known as the 'Apostle of the N ...

, "the apostle of the North". Gilpin generously agreed to send Henry and his brother Evan (or Ewan) to Gilpin's own endowed school, where they were educated "in grammatical learning," and were in attendance at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

when Gilpin died. From Wood's ''Athenae Oxonienses'' we glean the details of Airay's college attendance: His transference to Queen's is perhaps explained by its having been Gilpin's college, and by his Westmorland origin giving him a claim on Eaglesfield's foundation. He graduated B.A. on 19 June 1583, M.A. on 15 June 1586, B.D. in 1594 and D.D. on 17 June 1600 — all in Queen's College. "About the time he was master" (1586) "he entered holy orders, and became a frequent and zealous preacher in the university." His ''Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians'' (1618, reprinted 1864) is a specimen of his preaching before his college, and of his fiery denunciation of

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

ism and his fearless enunciation of that

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

which Oxford in common with all England then prized. In 1598 he was chosen provost of his college, and in 1606 was named vice-chancellor of the university. In the discharge of his vice-chancellor's duties he came into conflict with Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was beginning to manifest his antagonism to Calvinism. Airay was also

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Otmore (or

Otmoor Otmoor or Ot Moor is an area of wetland and wet grassland in Oxfordshire, England, located halfway between Oxford and Bicester. It is about above sea level, and has an area of nearly . It is encircled by the "Seven Towns" of Otmoor: Beckley, Oxf ...

), near

, a living which involved him in a trying but successful litigation, whereof later incumbents reaped the benefit. He died on 6 October 1616, and was buried in the Queen's Chapel. His character as a man, preacher, divine, and as an important ruler in the university, will be found portrayed in the ''Epistle'' by Christopher Potter, prefixed to the Commentary.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Airay, Henry People from Kendal English Reformation Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Fellows of The Queen's College, Oxford 1560 births 1616 deaths 16th-century Protestants English male non-fiction writers 17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 16th-century English writers 16th-century male writers 17th-century English writers 17th-century English male writers English Calvinist and Reformed theologians