Francis Mason (priest) facts for kids

Francis Mason (born around 1566, died 1621) was an important English churchman. He was an archdeacon of Norfolk and a writer. He is best known for his book, Of the Consecration of the Bishops in the Church of England. This book was a strong defense of the Church of England. It was also the first major response to a false story called the Nag's Head Fable. This fable tried to make fun of Matthew Parker and the way Anglican leaders were chosen.

Early Life and Education

Francis Mason was born in county Durham, England, around 1566. His parents were not wealthy. He started studying at Oriel College, Oxford, in 1583. He was already known for being very smart.

Later, in 1586, he became a fellow at Merton College. He earned his first degree (B.A.) from Brasenose College in 1587. He then received his M.A. from Merton College in 1590 and his B.D. in 1597.

Church Career

In 1599, Francis Mason became the rector of Sudbourn, a church in Suffolk. He also looked after the chapel in Orford.

By 1613, he was a chaplain to George Abbot, who was the archbishop of Canterbury. An archbishop is a very senior leader in the Church of England.

Francis Mason became an archdeacon in Norfolk in 1619. An archdeacon is a church official who helps a bishop manage a large area. He might have been given this role earlier, around 1614, because of his strong support for the Church of England.

Later Years and Legacy

Francis Mason passed away in 1621. He was buried at Orford on December 21. His wife, Elizabeth Price, had a marble monument built in the church to remember him. The monument shows Mason kneeling in his academic robes.

During his time as rector, Mason also built the parsonage house in Orford. He and his wife had three children.

Important Writings

Francis Mason is famous for strongly defending the authority of the Church of England. This earned him the nickname 'Vindex Ecclesiae Anglicanae', which means 'Defender of the English Church'.

Defending the Church

In 1613, with encouragement from Archbishop Abbot, he published his important book. It was called Of the Consecration of the Bishops in the Church of England. In this book, he used official records from Lambeth Palace. He wanted to prove that the Protestant bishops, especially Matthew Parker, were properly chosen and had true authority.

Mason was the first person to clearly disprove the 'Nag's Head' story. This was a false story that was widely believed. It claimed that early Anglican bishops were not properly chosen, which would have made their authority seem fake. Mason's book helped show this story was untrue.

His book was written as a conversation between two characters: Philodox, a Catholic priest, and Orthodox, a Church of England minister.

Responding to Critics

After Mason's book came out, other writers, especially Catholic ones, wrote responses against him. One of his main opponents was Anthony Champney.

Because of these attacks, Mason decided to publish an updated version of his book in 1618. He also prepared a larger Latin version called De Ministerio Anglicano. This new version included answers to his critics. He finished it in 1620, but he was too ill to publish it himself.

After Mason's death, Nathaniel Brent helped publish the Latin manuscript in 1625. It was called Vindiciae Ecclesiae Anglicanae. This book was reprinted several times. Later, in 1728, an English translation of the Latin edition was published. It was called A Vindication of the Church of England.

Other Works

Mason also published another work called 'The Authority of the Church in making Canons and Constitutions'. This book was about the church's power to create rules and laws. It was published in 1607 and reprinted many times.