; [ 6*6 ] 
pies than others? Or if they are pre-exiftent Germs 
that are fecreted, are the pre-exiftent Germs of every 
Species contained in every Bird, Beaft, Fifh, or 
Plant, that fupplies another with nutritive Juice, 
and becomes its Food ? What a ftrange Confufion ? 
How unlike that beautiful Simplicity, which Na- 
ture exhibits in all its Productions? Germs fhut up 
within Germs, and Nature fwarming with fupernu* 
merary Entities, all which we readily conceive might 
have been ftruck out at once, when the Univerfe 
was created ; yet pretend not to be able to underhand 
how they may be continually formed in Times 
fucceflive, and as Occafions may require. 
§13. This fhould feem as unnatural, and as unphi- 
lofophical, as it is difagreeable to Observation : For 
if every mix'd Body is made up by the Combination 
of certain Principles, I think we cannot queftion 5 
but that God may have eftablifhed Forces in Nature, 
fubfifting Forces, by which fuch Principles may, in 
certain Circumftances, be invariably united, without 
any Danger of deviating, fo as to render Generation 
equivocal 3 and if every Production in Queftion is a 
mix'd Body, as it certainly is, we know at the fame 
time, that, how various foever they are, a fmall 
Number of Principles differently combined will 
yield an inconceivable Variety, fufficient to pro- 
duce them all. Thus may we reduce Nature to 
what it is really ever found to be, fimple in the 
Beginning of its Courfe, but magnificent beyond 
Expreflion when diftributed: And this, I believe, 
will readily be allowed to be its true Procefs in 
Generation, if, befides taking in all the ordinary 
Thanomena , which no Hypothecs could yet explain, 
this 
