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or at bell; ad by a lifelefs Ferment, that would always generate new and mondrous 
Forms. Now, fince from natural Light we have difcovered a God of infinite Power 
and Wifdom, whofe Attributes are all immenfurable and infinite, we cannot fuppofe 
his Kingdom, Space, or Matter, lefs than immenfe and eternal: By Eternity, I mean. 
Time, not as meafured by the Courfe of a Planet in any Syftem, but a conftant, con¬ 
tinued Succefiion of Duration, that lhall know no End ; by Immenfity, I mean, the 
greatefi; given Qimntity of Matter, or Space, infinitely multiplied, which infinite Mul¬ 
tiplication will always fall infinitely Ihort of the immenfe Q^ntlty of Matter; for if 
we cad our Thoughts beyond this lower Syftem, and dive into the endlefs Depths of 
•Space, we are utterly loft j becaufe the Height, Depth, and Extenlion cn all Sides, 
flies away infinitely fafter, and more diftant, than the fwifteft and moft extended 
Thought can follow. As the greateft Part of Matter is to be multiplied with¬ 
out End, fo is the leaft Part of Matter to be divided infinitely, notwithftanding the 
falfe Dodlrine of Atoms, leaft or indivifible Parts of Matter, and the feeming Con- 
tradidtion of infinite Numbers contained in finite Space; for God, by his Power, can 
as eafily pierce infinitely into a fmall Thing) as extend his Dominion through the 
wide, immenfe Region. 
On this Principle of infinite Number contained in finite Space, I fuppofe, that 
God, by one Adt of his Will and Power, created the firft living and individual Prin¬ 
ciple of every fingle, generating, created Being, that hath made, or ftiall hereafter 
make its Appearance in the World; Thefe living and individual Principles, being 
inclofed one within another infinitely, were placed in the firft vifible Individuals of 
each Species; and it is the Work of Time and Generation gradually to bring to 
Light the inclofed and hidden Principles, which, as their Progenitors decay and fall 
off, extend themfelves to their natural, deftinated Si^es, in order to keep up a con- 
ftant Succefiion of each Species. The precife Exadlnefs of Size, Colour, Shape, and 
other Conditions of Animals and Plants, which they have retained in all Ages, 
wherein Hiftory hath given us any Account of them, hath induced me to believe, 
that all the Individuals of each Species were produced at the fame Time, by one Act 
of the Will and Power of God. The Animalcida difcovered in the Male feminal 
Parts of all living Creatures by the laborious M. Van Leuwenhoeck^ in his microfeo- 
pical Obfervations, and fince his Time confirmed by many others, is, I think, % 
ftrong Argument for the above Opinion. 
To proceed, and come a little nearer to my Purpofe: 
If a Man may be allowed truly to declare what Spirit he is poftefied with, as fome 
of our modern Enthufiafts have falfly, yet boldly, done ; I muft confefs, that a Zeal 
for exprefiing natural Things, with the utmoft Truth and Precifenefs, hath always 
infpired me, even to fuch a Degree, that I have fornetimes been afraid it would 
rife to fomething like what appears in Bigots, who pretend to Tnfpiration ; but as I 
never was a Favourer of fuch enthufiaftick, or defigning Men, fo I was alv/ayJs 
on my Guard, leaft my natural Reafoning fiiould be corrupted by Flights, of which 
I could give no fatisfedtory Account to the common Senfe and Underftariding of 
Mankind: But it is Time now to fpeak more direecly to the Purpofe of this Book* 
1 muft confefs, that fome Part of the Subiedf Matter b.uth already been treated of by- 
others, yet I truft, that the curious anti inqiiifiiive Naluralifts (when they compare 
* former 
