I40 EXAMINATION OF 



it would not be the fmalleft poflible atom, which 

 is contrary to the ruppofition. It is, therefore, 

 apparent, that every hypothefis which admits 

 an infinite progreffion ought to be rejeded not 

 only as falfe, but as deftitute of every veftige 

 of probability; and, as both the vermicular and 

 ovular fyftems fuppofe fuch a progreffion, they 

 fliould be excluded for ever from philofophy. 



Thefe fyrtems are liable to another objedion: 

 In the ovular fyftem, the firft woman contained 

 both male and female eggs; the male eggs 

 could only give origin to males; but the female 

 eggs muft have contained millions of generations 

 of both males and females: Hence every wo- 

 man muft have always contained a certain num- 

 ber of eggs capable of being unfolded in infini- 

 tum^ and another number, which could only be 

 unfolded once, and c6uld have no farther ope- 

 ration in the feries of exiftence. The fame 

 thing muft take place in the vermicular fyftem. 

 Hence we may conclude, that there is not the 

 fmalleft degree of probability in hypothefes of 

 this nature. 



A third difficulty ftill remains, arifmg from 

 the refemblance of children fometimes to the 

 father, fometimes to the mother, and fometimes 

 to both, and from the evident charaders of fpe- 

 cific differences in mules and other monftrous 

 produdions. If the foetus proceeds from the 

 fpermatic worm of the father, how comes the 

 phild to refemble its mother? If the foetus pre-r 



exifts 



