Link, "Wenceslaiis, a German theologian, noted for his eft'orts in behalf of Martin Luther and the cause of the reformatory movement, was born at Colditz, near ^Meissen, Saxony, about 1483. He was an Augustinian monk of the convent ^^'aldheim when he went to the "Wittenberg University to pursue theological studies, and, after attaining to the distinction of doctor of the- ology, became successively prior of the convents at Wit- tenberg, Munich, Nuremberg, etc. He enjoyed great notoriety and popularity when the Keformation was first assuming shape, but his leaning towards it made him unpojiular with Romanists, and he gradually went over to the new cause. In 1523 he married, and two years lattr appeared as Protestant preacher at Nurem- berg. He died there March 11,1547. His works are not of any special merit. A list of them is given in Jijeher, Gelelirten Lexikon, ii, 2442 sq.
Linn, John Blair, D.D., son of the succeeding, a Presbyterian minister, was born at Shippensburg, Pa., March 14, 1777, and graduated in 1795 at Columbia Col- lege, where he distinguished himself by his proficiency in polite literature. Having abandoned the study of law, he removed to Schenectady, where he studied the- ology, and was licensed in 1798. He was ordained in 1799, and installed in the First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, where he continued mitil his sudden death, August 30, 1804. Linn was quite a poet, and most of his publications are of a poetical nature. His best works are, Pieces in Prose and Poetry : — A Sermon on the Death ofDr.Eirintj (1802) : — -4 Poem on t/ie Influence ofChris- iianiti/: — a narrative poem, entitled ]'aJe7ian, with a .sketch of his life by Charles Brockden Brown (1805, 8vo) ; and two tracts against the doctrine of Dr. Priest- ley. See Sjjrague, A nnals, iv, 210 ; Allibone, Diet. Brit, and Arncr. A iithors, vol. ii, s. v.
Linn, William, D.D., a Reformed (Dutch) minis- ter, was born near Shippensburg, Pa., Feb. 27, 1752. He graduated from Princeton College in 1772 with honor, .studied divinity with Rev. Dr. Robert Cooper, of jMiddle Spring, Pa., and in 1775 was licensed to preach by Done- gal Presbytery. Fired with the patriotism of the Rev- t)hition, he became a chaplain in (ien. Thompson's regi- ment, and was ordained to the ministry at this period. His regiment being soon ordered to Canada, for domes- tic reasons he resigned his chaplaincy. After a brief set- tlement at Big Spring, he taught an academy in Somer- set County, ^Id., with success, until in 1786 he became jiastor of a Presbyterian church at Elizabethto\yn, N. ,1., from whence he removed to New York in the same year as one of tlie pastors of the Collegiate lieftrrmcd Dutch Church. He was full of genius and [lOwer. His sermons were written, and committed to memory. His delivery was graceful, natural, animated, and accompanied by that
electric power which thrills and sways an audience. His imagination was vivid, his language choice and classical, and his pictorial ability remarkable. He was celebrated for his missionary and charitable discourses. " Earnest, pathetic, persuasive, and alarming in his addresses, he peculiarly excelled in awakening sinners and urging them to the refuge of the Gospel. On special occasions he shone with conspicuous lustre, aad rose above him- self." In consequence of the failure of his health, he retired from the active ministry in 1805, and died at Albany Jan. 8, 1808. Among his published addresses are some of his celebrated missionary and charity ser- mons, historical discourses, controversial sermons, a eu- logy on Washington, delivered before the New York State Society of the Cincinnati, and a sermon preached in 1776 to a regiment of soldiers who were about to join the army. — Sprague, A nnals, vol. ix ; Dr. De Witt's Histori- cal Discourse ; Dr. Bradford's Funeral Sermon, etc. (W. J. R. T.)
Lintel (prop, kjlp^p, mashlvjih', lit. a projecting cover ; Exod. xii, 22, 33 ; '• upper door-post," ver. 7 ; also inSS, haphtor', a chaplet, i.e. capital of a column, Amos ix, 1 ; Zeph. ii, 14; elsewhere a "knop" of the candela- brum ; and P""?*, a't/il, a " ram," as often ; hence aj^Haster or pillar in a wall, 1 Kings vi, 31, elsewhere " post"), the head-])lece of a door, or the horizontal beam covering the side-posts or jambs. See Post. This the Israelites were commanded to mark with the blood of the paschal lamb on the memorable occasion when the Passover was in- stituted. See Passover,
Li'niis (usually Alvoc, but prop. AiVor, the name originally of a mythological and musical personage, per- haps from \ivov, linen), one of the Christians at Rome whose salutations Paul sent to Timothy (2 Tim. iv, 21). A.D. 64. He is said to have been the first bishop of Rome after the mart^-rdom of Peter and Paid (Ircn.TJus, Adv. Ilceres. iii, 3 ; Eusebius. Hist. Eccles. iii, 2, 4, 13, 14, 31; v, G; comp. Jerome, Z'e 17 w. ///«s^ 15; Augustine, Epist. liii, 2 ; Theodoret, ad 2 Tim. iv, 21), but there is some discrepancy in the early statement respecting his date (see Heinichen ud Euseh. iii, 187 ; Burton, Ilist. of the Christ. Church ; Lardner, Works, ii, 31, 32, 176. 187), " Eusebius and Theodoret, followed by Baronius and TiUemont {IJist. Eccles. ii. 165, 591), state that he be- came bishop of Rome after the death of St. Peter. On the other hand, the Avords of Irena?us, ' [Peter and Paul] when they founded and built up the Church [of Rome], committed the office of its episcopate to Linus,' certain- ly admit, or rather imply the meaning that he held that office before the death of St. Peter; as if the two great apostles, having, in the discharge of their own peculiar office, completed the organization of the Church at Rome, left it under the government of Linus, and passed on to preach and teach in some new region. This proceeding would be in accordance with the practice of the apostles in other places. The earlier appointment of Linus is as- serted as a fact by Ruffinus {Pr(ef. in Clem. liecor/n.), and by the author of ch. xlvi, bk. vii of the Apostolic Consti- tutions. It is accepted as the true statement of the case by bishop I'earson (De Seiie et Successione Pi-ioruni Romcv Episcoporum, ii, 5, § 1) and by Fleury (Hist. Eccl. ii, 26). Some persons have objected that the undistin- guished mention of the name of Linus between the names of two other Roman Christians in 2 Tim. iv, 21 is a proof that he was not at that time bishop of Rome. But even Tillcmont admits that such a way of introduc- ing the bishop's name is in accordance with the simplic- ity of that early age. No lofty pre-eminence was at- tributed to the episcopal office in the apostolic times" (Smith).