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neral Ufagc and Standard of Nature, by the Pre- 
clusion of Monftrofities in any Part of her Works. 
When the Vis plajlica. was thought to be the 
Agent for the Guidance of the Work of Generation, 
and that a monftrous Child appear’d, it was blamed 
by the Authors of mod Nations in fome of thefe 
Particulars 5 the fcminal Matter was either in too 
imall or too great a Quantity, and the Vis plaftica 
puzzled in the Management of the Particles that go 
to form the different Parts of the Animal 5 or it 
was fometimes carelefs and negligent in the Appli- 
cation of the Ideas of fome or other of the Parts, 
and confequently the Animal muft want fome Limb 
or other j or, from a Superabundance of Matter, 
have fuperfluous Limbs added to them by this un- 
skilful erring Agent: But in whatfoever manner 
the Commixtion of the male Semen , with that igno- 
rantly fuppofed to be in Pemales, and the Forma- 
tion of a Foetus therefrom, is laid to be conducted, 
the Accidents and Chances againft the W elfare of 
all animal Beings would be fo numerous, and the 
State of Nature fo miferable, that the greateft Part 
of the Inhabitants of the Earth and Waters could 
not avoid being monftrous, and full of Confufion : 
The Almighty would have produced an Efifedl contrary 
to His Divine Goodncfs, and Care for His Creatures s 
and, in fine, it would be highly abfurd, to fuppofe 
the Regulation of things of this high Confequence 
to be committed to any finite fubordinate ignorant 
Agent, which muft undeniably be infufficient for 
this great Work. 
But the Syftem of Generation which fuppofes the 
Organizations of Animals and Vegetables already 
formed with an Incapacity of growing into any 
other 
