17 



animals, in the common sense of the word ? Or are 

 they animals, in quite another sense 1 Essentially 

 different from all other species of animals in the uni 

 verse : as neither requiring any food to sustain them, 

 nor generating, or being generated ? Are they no 

 animals at all, (according to the supposition of a 

 late ingenious writer,) but merely inanimate particles 

 of matter, in a state of fermentation 1 ' So much 

 may be said for each of these opinions, that it is riot 

 easy to fix upon any of them. 



If they are animals of a peculiar kind, which nei- 

 ther generate, nor are generated, they spread a veil 

 over one considerable branch of human ignorance. 

 For how totally ignorant are the most sagacious of 

 men, touching the whole affair of generation ? I do 

 not say of the generation of iusecta and fishes : the 

 countless fry, 



" That by unnumber'd millions multiply." 



But let us come to that of the most perfect ani- 

 mals, yea, of man himself. In the book of the Cre- 

 ator, indeed, were all our members written ; which 

 day by day ivere fashioned, when as yet there were 

 none of them. But by what rule were they fashion- 

 ed ? In what manner 7 By what degrees from the 

 moment of impregnation ? Who can explain 



" How the dim speck of entity began, 



*' T extend its recent form, and swell to man 1'' 



v<to,, \v L 



