Limborch, Philip van, an eminent Dutch theolo- gian, was born at Amsterdam Jmie 19, 1633. He first studied ethics, history, and philosophj' at his native place, and then applied himself to divinity under the Remon- strants. From Amsterdam he went to Utrecht, and at- tended the lectures of Yoetius, and other divines of the Reformed religion. In 1657 he became pastor of the Remonstrants at Gonda, and remained there until 1667, when he removed to Amsterdam as pastor. The fol- lowing year he was called to the chair of divinity in the Remonstrant college at the latter place, which po- sition he held until his death, April 30, 1712. Limborch was on intimate terms with Locke, and corresponded with him regularly for several years on the nature of human liberty (see Locke's Letters, Lond. 1727, 3 vols, fob). Limborch was gentle in his disposition, tolerant of the views of others, learned, methodical, of a reten- tive memory, and, above all, had a love for truth, and engaged in the search of it by reading the Scriptures with tlie best commentators. Next to Arminius him- self, and Simon Episcopius, Limborch was one of the most ilistinguished of the Arminian theologians, " who exerted a beneticial reaction upon Protestantism by their thorough scientilic attainments, no less than by the mildness of their sentiments" (Hagenbach's History of Doctrines, ii, 214). In 1660, having found among the papers of Episcopius, his maternal uncle, several letters relating to ecclesiastical affairs, he arranged a collection with Ilartsocker, Kpistohr prwstdnlinm et ei-iiditornm Virortiiii (8vo). Limborch was special!}'' noted for his doetrinal works. His principal work is Theolnr/ia Chrintiana (1686; 4th cd. Amst, 1715, 4to), translated, with improvements from Wilkins, Tillotson, Scott, and others, by William Jones, under the title, .1 complete System or Body of Dirinity, hot/i speciilatire and practi- C(il,J'ourided on Scripture and Reason (Lond. 17.02, 2 vols. 8vo). This was the first and most complete exposition of the Arminian doctrine, dfsplaying greit originality of arrangement, and admiral)le perspicuity and judicious selection of material. Tlie preparation of the work was undertaken at the request of the Remonstrants (q, v.).
His other works are. Be veritate religioms Cliristiance (1687), the result of a conference with the learned Jew, Dr. Orohius, : — Historia Inquisitionis (1692, fob; trans- lated by Samuel Chandler, under the title The History of the Inquisition, to which is prefixed a large introduc- tion concerning the rise and progress of persecution, and the real and pretended causes of it, London, 1731, 2 vols. 4to). He is also the author of an exegetical work, Commentarius in A eta Apos. et in Fpistolas ad Roma- nos et ad Ilehi-eeos (Rotterdam, 1711, fob). '• This com- mentary, though written in the interest of the author's theological views, is desers-ing of attention for the good sense, clear thought, and acute reasoning by which it is pervaded" (Kitto). In addition, he edited many of the works of the principal Arminian theologians. See Ni- ceron, Hist, des Honimes illustres, xi, 39-53; Abrah. des Armorie van der Hoeven, De Jo. Clerico et Philippo a Limborch. (Amstelod. 1845, 8vo) ; Hoefer, Nouv. Bioyr, Generale, xxxi, s. v. ; Herzog, Recd-Encyklop. viii, s. v. ; Farrar, Crit. History of Free Thovyht, p. 386, 392 ; Meth- odist Quarterly Review, July, 1864, p. 513. (C. R. B.)
Limbus. See Limbo.
Lime (T^'JJ, «!c/, perh.from its boiliny or effervescing when slaked; Isa. xxxiii, 12; Amos ii, 1; rendered "plaster" in Dent, li, 2, 4; the same word is used for Ume in Arab, and Syr.), a well-known mineral substance, which is a very prevalent ingredient in rocks, and, com- bined with carbonic acid, forms marble, chalk, and lime- stone, of various degrees of hardness and everv variety of color. Limestone is the prevailing constituent of the momitains of Syria; it occurs under various modifica- tions of texture, color, form, and intermixture in differ- ent parts of the country. The purest carbonate of lime is found in calcareous spar, whose crj'stals assume a va- riety of forms, all, however, resulting from a primary rhomboid. Under the action of fire, carbonate of lime loses its carbonic acid and becomes caustic lime, which has a hot, pungent taste. See Chalk. Iflime be sub- jected to an intense heat, it fuses into transparent glass. When heated under great pressure, it melts, but retains its carbonic acid. The modern mode of manufacturing common or ''quick" lime was known in ancient times. Lime is obtained by calcining or burning marble, lime- stone, chalk, shells, bones, and other substances to drive off the carbonic acid. From Isa. xxxii, 12 it appears that lime was made in a kiln lighted with thorn-bushes. Dr. Thomson remarks, "It is a curious fidelity to real life that, when the thorns are merely to be destroyed, they are never cut up, but are set on fire where they grow. They are only cut vp for the lime-kiln" {Land and Book, i, 81). See J'urnace. In. Amos ii, 1 it is said that the king of Moab " burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime." The interpretation of the Targnm and some of the rabbins is that the burnt bones were made into lime and used by the conqueror for plas- tering his palace. The same Hebrew word occurs in Dent, xxvii, 2-4 : " Thou shall set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister; and thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law." It is probable that the same mode of perpetuating inscriptions was fol- lowed as we know was customary in Egypt. In that country wc find paintings and hieroglyphic writing upon plaster, which is frequenth' laid upon the natural rock, and, after the lapse of perhajis more than three thousand years, we find the plaster stiU firm, and the colors of the figures painted on it still remarkably fresh. The pro- cess of covering the rock with plaster is thus described : "The ground was covered with a thick laj-er of fine plaster, consisting of lime and gypsum, which was care- fully smoothed and polished. Upon this a thin coat of lime white-wash was laid, and on it the colors were pamted, whicli were boimd fast either with animal glue or occasionally with wax" (Kf/yptian Antiq., in Lib. of Enlertaininy Knowl.). See Plaster. If it be insisted that the words of the law were actually cut in the rock, it would seem best to understand that the Hebrew word