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

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

theologian serving as vice-chancellor of the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

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 (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) 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 ...

. He went to school in Lübeck. In c. 1668, he came to

Giessen Giessen, spelled Gießen in German (), is a town in the German state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of both the district of Giessen and the administrative region of Giessen. The population is approximately 90,000, with roughly 37,000 univers ...

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

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

, Tübingen and

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

where he studied Hebrew under

Johannes Buxtorf Johannes Buxtorf ( la, Johannes Buxtorfius) (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" ...

. He then went on to

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...

and

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

Career in Danish service

Moving to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, he won the favour of Grand Chancellor

Frederik Ahlefeldt Count Frederik of Ahlefeldt-Rixingen (; 1623 in Søgård – 7 July 1686, in Copenhagen) was a Danish landowner and statesman. By birth member of the House of Ahlefeldt, he was the first reigning Count of Rixingen. He was also Grand Chancellor ...

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 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 ...

, 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 Lundbygård is a manor house and estate located in Lundby, Vordingborg Municipality, in the southeastern part of Denmark. It has been owned by the Collet family since 1827. Its current owner is former Danish Defence Minister Bernt Johan Collet. T ...

. 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