IV. THE formative and figurating Faculty of all the Members of the Body, imparting their respective Shape, Figure, and natural Form, to every particular one; which being the Work of the next Eight to Eighteen Days, is perfected about the 35th, to the 50th Day from Conception, and is called the Time of coarticulate Formation, when the Foetus, or Cyema, is stil’d Infant.
AND in this, the second Month, Jupiter is supposed to exert his Power in the Seed, by his calid and humid Qualities; and thereby to vivify the Spirits, strengthen the Members, and give Augmentation and Growth to the whole Foetus: So that the interior Members are not[[16]] only conspicuous, but also Legs and Arms appear perfectly delineated, and are (at this time) distinctly visible; when also the Head takes its Distance from the Shoulders, the Arms from the Sides, and the Legs are plainly parted.
BUT, however, the above-mention’d Four remarkable Times may be also thus distinguished; viz. The first perfects the Work of Spumification and Coagulation; the second the Vegetative; the third the Sensitive; and the fourth begins the Rational Operation: Altho’ this cannot yet be discern’d, because of the Redundancy of Humours.
FROM the beginning of this Chapter, ’tis evident that the more noble, or three chief Parts take the first beginning to Formation, tho’ perhaps last perfected, which forthwith distribute their respective Branches to the whole Body; as the Heart sends forth the Arteries, the Liver the Veins, and the Brain the Spinal Marrow, with all their other Dependencies: And according to Aristotle, (who says, there must be a different Matter to every different Form); So indeed every distinct Part of the Body is form’d of a different Substance, according to the different Nature and singular Disposition of every particular Part.
HOWEVER, I shall not here pretend to go much farther in describing the Formation, it being more the Philosopher’s than the Physician’s Business: But whatever farther Progress others may attempt, I judge it a most difficult and ambiguous Matter; for who can be so well vers’d in those Indiscoverables? Or, who can pretend to know sufficiently what is done in those Obscurities? The Series of Nature being profounder than our Understandings, is consequently above our nicest and exactest Scrutinies: Which Consideration makes me astonished at the Logical Dissertations that some Men offer on these Principles, even on the most minute Particles, and smallest Proportions, rashly and inconsiderately assigning every respective one of these, a precise definite Time for their Formation.
I HAVE often been inclin’d to think, that such Sciolists have not read, or at least not consider’d the Words of the[[17]] Preacher; As thou knowest not what is the Way of the SPIRIT, nor how the Bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child; even so thou knowest not the Works of GOD that maketh all. Neither do I find that the wise[[18]] Hebrean ever enter’d upon such Syllogisms, who (to the contrary) testifies that the Counsel of GOD is not to be known; that our Thoughts are miserable, and our Devices uncertain. Upon which Authority, I say, in this Case, as that Labour is commendable which can be compar’d to Possibilities, so to dive into those Things, which exceed our Judgments, and admit of no possible Comparison, is nothing better than Folly. Wherefore All that is further requisite, or possible for us, is to contemplate and admire the Greatness and Elegancy, the Sublimity and Profundity of this wonderful and amazing Work of Formation; which Subject (we find) hath been the frequent Contemplation of the Royal Prophet[[19]], particularly expressing himself, in the most eloquent and sublime Terms, according to the divine Light of his illuminated Understanding: Saying, Thou hast possessed my Reins: Thou hast ordered me in my Mother’s Womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous are thy Works, and that my Soul knoweth right well. My Substance was not hid from thee, tho’ I was made in secret, and curiously fashioned in the lowest Parts of the Earth. Thine Eyes did see my Bones, yet being imperfect; and in thy Book were all my Members written; which Day by Day were formed, when as yet there was none of them. Whence I proceed in order, to
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Animation of the FOETUS.
THE human Fœtus being duly form’d and organiz’d about the 50th Day at the latest, as we observed in the preceeding Chapter, it remains to be animated, and that with a three-fold Soul, viz. a vegetative, a sensitive, and a rational Soul.
THE First of which, according to the most learned Fortunius[[20]] Licetus, &c. may be ascribed to the Mother, as chiefly proceeding from the Power of her Menstruum. The Second may (by the same Authority) be ascribed to the Power and Spirit of the Paternal Seed; but it is the more generally received Opinion, that the vegetative Soul is generated from the Commixture of both Seeds with the Menstruum, and therefore as much to be ascribed to the one, as to the other, Parent: And that also the sensitive SOUL proceeds from the proper natural Faculty of the organiz’d Fœtus, as the rational SOUL doth from the immediate Infusion of the great Creator. Touching which Infusion, I desire not to meddle with the Controversy that has so long subsisted betwixt Philosophers and Divines: Only as I have noted in Chap. iv. the Opinion of the greatest Masters of Nature; so if, in this, we could, from the Dictates of Faith and Religion, as well as from the Maxims of natural Philosophy, set the Matter in a clearer Light, I humbly presume it would not be disagreeable: Since the Principles of Either, taken separately, are in themselves mysterious, and can never be fully comprehended by some; whereas, both taken jointly, I mean, the Arguments of the one, to reinforce the Positions of the other, may be satisfactory to all.