Hector Gottfried Masius (13 April 1653 – 20 September 1709) was a German

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

theologian serving as vice-chancellor of the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...

from 1691 to 1692 and, again, from 1700 to 1701. He acquired wealth through marriages and owned a number of estates. His children were ennobled in 1712 with the surname von der Maase. HectorGottfriedMasius

Early life and education

Masius was born in Schlagsdorf in

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...

. He went to school in

Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...

. In c. 1668, he came to

Giessen Giessen, spelled in German (), is a town in the Germany, German States of Germany, state () of Hesse, capital of both the Giessen (district), district of Giessen and the Giessen (region), administrative region of Giessen. The population is appro ...

where he obtained a theology degree in 1675. He later continued his studies in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...

and

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

where he studied Hebrew under

Johannes Buxtorf Johannes Buxtorf () (December 25, 1564September 13, 1629) was a celebrated Hebraist, member of a family of Orientalists; professor of Hebrew for thirty-nine years at Basel and was known by the title, "Master of the Rabbis". His massive tome, '' ...

. He then went on to

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

and

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

Career in Danish service

Moving to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, he won the favour of Grand Chancellor Frederik Ahlefeldt who arranged for him to give private lectures at the

. In 1682, he was promised the next vacant professorship in theology. In 1682, Masius accompanied diplomat Henning Meyercrone to France where he served as chaplain to the Danish embassy in Paris until 1687. He published ''Defense de la religion luthérienne'' in 1685. After a short visit to

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, he was called back to Copenhagen and was made a professor of theology at the

Personal life and property

Masius obtained great wealth through his two marriages. In 1692, he married Birgitte Magdalene Engberg (1677-1694). In 1695, he married Anna Catharine Dröge (1661-1705). He owned the estates Ravnstrup, Gunderslevholm, Førslevgaard, Fuglebjerggaard and Lundbygård. He died during 1709 at Ravnstrup and was buried at Gunderslev Church (''Gunderslev Kirke'') His children were ennobled in 1712 with the surname von der Maase.

Written works

*''Defense de la religion lutherienne contre les docteurs de l'Eglise romaine. Où on fait voir en même temps leurs erreurs fondamentales. Pour l'usage de ceux de la veritable religion, qui sejournent en France''. Frankfurt 1685 (= ''Verthaidigung der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Religion, wider die Römisch-Catholische Lehrer, da zugleich Deroselben Grundstürtzende Irrthümme kürtzlich angezeiget, und gründlich widerleget werden'', Frankfurt 1685). *''De existentia daemonis, quatenus e naturae lumine innotescit''. Kopenhagen 1682. *''Theologiæ Polemicæ Summa : In gratiam Studiosæ Juventutis XL. Disputationibus comprehensa Et In Collegio Privato ad ventilandum proposita'': Kopenhagen 1687. *''Interesse Principum circa religionem Evangelicam''. Kopenhagen 1687. *''Schediasma historico-philologicum de diis Obotritis seu idolis Mecklenburgensium et praecipue de Radegasto. Accessit dissertatio ejusdem de existentia daemonis, cum notis Andreae Borrichii''. Kopenhagen 1688. *''Das Treue Lutherthumb, entgegengesetzet der Schule Calvini, Womit des Vermummeten Huberti Mosani Bericht von der Weltlichen Obrigkeit, so er gegen Masii Interesse principum neulich herausgegeben widerleget''. 1690 *''Kurtzer Bericht von Dem Unterscheid Der wahren Evangelischen Lutherischen/ und der Reformirten Lehre/ Nebst einem Anhang/ und Erörterung folgender Fragen: I. Ob zwischen den Lutheranern und Reformirten eine Religions Einigkeit und Brüderschafft zu hoffen? II. Ob nicht die Reformirten Gewissens halber verbunden seynd Krafft ihrer eigenen Lehr-Sätze/ zu uns zu treten''. 1690, neuer Abdruck Gütersloh 1880
Digitalisat
ULB Münster) *''Erinnerungs-Schreiben An Hubertum Mosanum, Wie er die Sache angreiffen müsse, wo er Doct. Masij Treues Lutherthum beantworten wolle : sampt Huberti Mosani Antwort''. Franckfurt an der Oder 1691. *''Antiquitatum Mecklenburgensium schediasma historico-philologicum''. Kopenhagen 1691. *''Der Abgefertigte Jesuit In Franckreich Oder Schrifftmäßige Widerlegung Päbstlicher Lehre In dreyen Puncten : I. Von der Messe II. Von der Kirchen Folge III. Von dem rechtmässigen Beruff der Evangelischen Prediger''. 1695. *''Heilige Passions-Gedancken, oder Kurtze Betrachtung des Bluts Christi, so da besser redet als das Blut Abels : Hiebevor in einigen Passions-Predigten vorgestellet''. Kopenhagen 1700. *''Dissertationes academicae, in II tomos distributae quorum : I. Dogmatico-historico-polemicas; II. Exegetico-dogmaticas continet, cum appendice orationum''. Hamburg 1719.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masius, Hector Gottfried Danish Lutheran theologians 18th-century Danish landowners German Lutheran theologians 1653 births 1709 deaths People from Mecklenburg Academic staff of the University of Copenhagen