Dutch theologian. Dordrecht, 1525 - Ghent, 2 November 1588. Studied at the University of Louvain and in France (Hebrew under Mercerus and Greek under Turnebus). Back in Louvain he became priest, licentiate in theology in 1552, and doctor in theology in 1556. He taught in 1554-1557 theology at Dillingen in Swabia, to become in 1557 canon and archdean of the bishopric of Utrecht and vicar-general of the see in Leeuwarden. At the reorganization of the bishoprics of the Netherlands, he was appointed bishop of the newly created see of Roermond in August 1561 and consecrated on 4 April 1562, but he could only take possession of his bishopric in March 1569. The troubles did not make life easy, and from 1578 onwards he was only for short periods at Roermond, travelling in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. In February 1588 he was transferred to the see of Ghent. On 22 June 1588 he entered the city, but he died already some months later. He himself believed to know the Hebrew language very well, which brought him into some conflicts with Arias Montanus and Franciscus Raphelengius. Cf. Biographie Nationale [de Belgique], 12, 1892-93, Columns 212-216; H. de Vocht, History of the Foundation and the Rise of the Collegium Trilingue Lovaniense, 1517-1550, IV, 1955, pages 305-306, 335-336, 378-398; J. Meerbergen, 'Bisschop Willem Damaasz. Lindanus' in Pastor bonus, 30, 1953, pages 45-53, 104-114, 169-177, 235-246, and 31, 1954, pages 45-51, 116-123; P.Th. Van Beuningen, Wilhelmus Lindanus als inquisiteur en bisschop. Bijdrage tot zijn biografie (1515-1576), Assen, 1966 (Maaslandse monografiëen, no. 5). See also L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, I, pages 371-372, and BB, III, pages 882-883. Other bibliographical references in A. Gerlo - H.D.L. Vervliet, Bibliographie de l'humanisme des anciens Pays-Bas, 1972, page 387. Two manuscripts of Lindanus prepared for being published by the Plantin Press, but not executed, have been preserved in Museum Plantin-Moretus (Denucé, Manuscrits, nos. 121 [having to accompany the projected publication of Dionysius Areopagita, edited by Lindanus and Matthaeus Galenus] and 320 [De claghte Christi Jesu, 1588]).
Edited also: Missa apostolica, 1589 (no. cp013437).
- cp011819: Apologeticum ad Germanos, ['tomus primus' in 2 vols.], 1568-1569.
- cp012100: Altera pars apologetici ad Germanos, 1570.
- cp012496: Christomachia calvinistica et sacramentariorum omnium vere sathanica, 1584.
- cp010326: Christelicke maniere om de sondaeghsche misse salighlijck te hooren ende Godt den Heere danckbaerlijck daer mede te dienen, 1588.
- cp012366: Paraphraseon in Psalmos Davidicos…tomus primus, 1572.
- cp010554: Paraphrases in Psalmos, qui ad laudes antelucanas…decantantur, 1573.
- cp010356: De sapientia caelesti, 1565.
- cp011747: Vermaninghe van d'ondancbaerheyt teghen Godt, allen Christen te schouwen, 1572.