Mason, Francis (2), D.D., a Baptist minister, noted as a missionary, was born at York, England, in 1799. He was a shoemaker's apprentice; emigrated to Philadelphia in 1818; settled at Canton, Mo., in 1825; studied at the Theological Seminary, Newton, Mo., in 1827 ; and in May, 1830, having been ordained, sailed with his wife for Calcutta as a missionary to the Karens. After acquiring the language, he wrote The Sayings of the Elders, which was the first printed book in the Ka- ren language. He prepared Pali and Burmese gram- mars, and acc^uired many of the Oriental languages. He also published a Karen translation of the Bible. He was medical adviser to this people, having studied med- icine, and published a small work on materia medica and pathology in one of the Karen dialects. He also edited for many years the Morning Star, a Karen monthly, in both the Sgan and Pwo dialects, and was member of a number of literary and scientific bodies. His I<]nglish writings a.xe,Tieport of the Twvay Mission Society: — Life of Kothabyn, the Karen Apostle: — Me- moir of Mrs. Helen M. Mason (1847) : — Memoir of San Quala (1850): — and Burmah, its People and Naturcd Productions (1852; enlarged edition, 18G1). See Drake. Diet. A me?: Biog. s. v.
Mason, John (l),an English dissenting divine, was born in Essex in 1705 or 170G; became pastor of a con- gregation at Dorking, Surrey, in 1730, and at Chestnut, Hertfordshire, in 1746. He died in 1763. ]\Ir. jMason published, besides a number of iSermons, various theo- logical treatises and otlier works. The best known are Self-Knoirledge (1754; new edition and life of the author by John Mason Good, 1811, 12mo ; new edition by Tegg, 1847, 32mo; with jMelmoth's Lnp07-tance of a Christian Life, published by Scott, 1855, 24mo); this work was very popular for a long time, and was translatecVinto several languages: — The Lord's Day Evening Entertain- ments, 52 practical discourses (1751-52, 4 vols. 8vo; 2d ed. 1754, 4 vols. 8vo) : — The Student and Pastor (1755, 8vo ; new edition by Joshua Toulmin, D.D., 1807, 12mo) : — Fifteen L/iscourses (1758, 8vo): — Christian Morals (1761, 2 vols. 8vo). See Allibone, Diet. Brit, and Amer. A uthors, s. V. ; Hook, Eccks. Biog. s. v.
Mason, John (2), D.D., a minister of the Associate Reformed Church, father of the celebrated John M. Ma- son, was born near Miel-Calder, in Linlithgowshire, Scot- land, in 1734. The great ecclesiastical agitation within the Church of Scotland occurred in his earh' days, and, favoring the Anti-Burgher part}', he identified liirtiself witli this branch of the " Secession Church," pursued his theological studies at Abernethy, and later became an assistant professor of logic and moral philosophy at the theological school. In 1761 he was ordained for the ofiice of the ministry, and sent to this country as pastor of the then Cedar Street Church, New York. Believing that the causes which divided the Presbyterians of Scot- land did not exist here, he labored, from the moment of his arrival in the States, for the union of all Presbyteri- ans, and, though his course displeased his brethren at home, and the sj'nod suspended him, he pushed his proj- ect, and on June 13, 1782, a general union of the lie- formed Presbyterians was held as " tlie Associate Re- formed Church." Dr. Mason had the honor to be the first moderator of this body. LTntiring in his services to the cause of the Church of Christ, and his own branch of it, he died April 19, 1792. " His death, like his life, was an honorable testimony to his Redeemer's power and grace." The degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by New Jersey College, of which he was a trustee from 1779 to 1785. Dr. Mason "was a man of sound and vigorous mind, of extensive learning, and fervent piety. As a preacher, he was uncommonly judicious and instructive, and his ministrations were largely at- tended. As a pastor, he was specially faithful and dili- gent. To great learning there were united in him meek- ness, prudence, diligence, knowledge of the world, and an affectionate superintendence of the interests, temporal and spiritual, of his flock" (Di-. John B. Dales, in Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, ix, 4 sq.).
Mason, John Mitchell, D.D., a distinguished Presbyterian divine and noted American pulpit orator, was born in the city of New York March 19, 1770. He was educated at Columbia College, class of 1789, and having decided to devote his life to the service of the Church, went abroad, and studied theology at the Uni- versity of Edinburgh. While at the '' Northern Athens" young Mason became noted for piety and an exemplary life. In 1792 he was unexpectedly recalled by the sud- den decease of his father, and, after his return to New York, Avas established in the ministry over the same Church which his father had served so long. The As- sociate Reformed Church, to which he belonged at this time, had been wont to celebrate the Lord's Supper but once or twice annually. IMason believed in more fre- quent communion, and both by his pen and his tongue went forward to advocate reform in this respect. A pamphlet, consisting of "Letters on Communion," which he published, brought him prominently before the relig- ious world, and thereafter John JNIitcheU jNIason was not an uncommon name in the assembly of American Chris- tians. He also served his day and generation in many other ways. The Associate Reformed Church had al- ways depended upon foreign institutions for the educa- tion of her ministry'. Mason advocated the establish- ment of a school of the prophets on American soil, and thus became instrumental in founding the institution known as the " Union Theological Seminaiy." He was appointed its first professor at the opening in 1804. In 1806 he projected the " Christian's Magazine," the pages of which are filled with a controversy he had with bish- op Hobart on the claims of the episcopacy. h\ 1810 he resigned his pastoral charge, for the jiurpose of forming a new congregation. The intimate relations he now es- tablished with the Presbyterians were objected to by many of his own denomination, and in 1811 a charge was brought against him, but the sjniod had sense enough to refuse all censure. Mason, however, im- proved the opportunity to push his favorite object, the Plea for Sacramental Communion on Catholic Principles (published in 1816). In this year (1811) he was also