Philipp van Limborch
Philipp van Limborch was a Dutch Remonstrant theologian. He befriended of John Locke, who lived in voluntary political exile in the Netherlands.
Biography
Limborch was born on 19 June 1633 in Amsterdam, where his father was a lawyer. He received his education at Utrecht, at Leiden, in his native city, and finally at Utrecht University, which he entered in 1652. In 1657 he became a Remonstrant pastor at Gouda, and in 1667 he was transferred to Amsterdam, where, in the following year, the office of professor of theology in the Remonstrant seminary was added to his pastoral charge. He was a friend of John Locke, living in exile in the Dutch Republic, whose A Letter Concerning Toleration was likely addressed to, and first published by, Philipp van Limborch. Limborch died in Amsterdam on 30 April 1712.Theology
Many scholars argue that Limborch diverged substantially from Jacobus Arminius and Arminianism as it was originally taught. Others place him far closer to the broader orthodox Remonstrant tradition. He embraced Rationalism and a more optimistic view of anthropology. Some say that he practically denied total depravity and assimilated prevenient grace to common grace. For Limborch, man is deprived of the knowledge which informs the intellect, but the will is fully capable within itself, if it is informed by the intellect, to will and perform the good in general. However, he still denied that man can attain the full good without an internal movement of grace which grants to man things otherwise impossible for him.Works
His most important work, Institutiones theologiae christianae, ad praxin pietatis et promotionem pacis, christianae unice directae, is a full and clear exposition of the system of Simon Episcopius and Stephan Curcellaeus. The fourth edition included a posthumous Relatio historica de origine et progressu controversiarum in foederato Belgio de praedestinatione.Limborch also wrote:
- De veritate religionis Christianae amica collatio cum erudito Judaeo
- Historia Inquisitionis, in four books prefixed to the Liber Sententiarum Inquisitionis Tolosanae
- Commentarius in Acta Apostolorum et in Epistolas ad Romanos et ad Hebraeos
Editorial work
In 1689 Limborch edited the compilation of Socinian Samuel Przypkowski's works in the last volume of the Bibliotheca antitrinitariorum or Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum of the Polish Brethren. Previous volumes had been edited after the death of Christopher Sandius by Benedykt Wiszowaty in 1684.His editorial labors included the publication of various works of his predecessors, and of Epistolae ecclesiasticae praestantum ad eruditorum virorum, chiefly, by Jacobus Arminius, Joannes Uytenbogardus, Konrad Vorstius, Gerhard Vossius, Hugo Grotius, Simon Episcopius and Caspar Barlaeus; they are of great value for the history of Arminianism.
His edition of the Liber Sententiarum Inquisitionis Tolosanae is still considered important nowadays for its meticulous transcription of a manuscript by the Dominican inquisitor Bernard Gui long regarded as lost forever, but rediscovered in London. Recently a new edition has appeared '' edited by Annette Palès-Gobillard.