orks like unto those it came from, imprints the Characters
of Man and Woman upon it: And that some have been able to engender in a
double Capacity, as to have a Child with one Breast resembling that of a
Woman, and the other that of a Man; but this Opinion is very fabulous,
for the uniting Faculty, which is the Effect of the Soul, is not capable
of making such very great Differences; and Generation being
accomplish'd, thro' the Fermentation of the Seed only, it cannot
separate their Actions after they are mix'd.

Some Naturalists tell us, that where Nature design'd Seed in the Womb
for a Male only, (as working up for the best, and aiming at the highest
Perfection of its Workmanship) too much Cold and Moisture accidentally
falling into the Work, before it is perfected in the Womb, at the same
time there being too great a quantity of Seed and menstrous Blood, what
was intended for Man in part degenerates, and renders the Infant of a
double Sex or Nature, placing it in the middle of both Sexes, as seeming
to participate of Male and Female.

Others say. That Nature having always a particular care of the
Propagation of Mankind, endeavours for the most part to produce Females:
And thus we may observe, the Number of Men Hermaphrodites to exceed the
Women ones, Nature having chalk'd out to the first the Lines of a
Woman's privy Parts. To this Opinion it is objected, that Nature being
nothing but the Power of God in the production of Creatures, it never
works but according to his Orders upon the Matter that is given the
Female; and of consequence Hermaphrodites depend more upon the
Disposition of the Matter for Generation, than upon any previous Design
of Nature.

Some are of Opinion, that God having created Man and Woman, we have
essentially within us a Faculty to become either the one Sex or the
other; for which Reason it is no wonder if an Hermaphrodite is sometimes
produc'd, since we are potentially so. This Notion is drawn from
_Plato_; and though some part of the Scripture may at first seem to
favour it, yet, strictly consider'd, one may find a quite different
Sense; and this Opinion was condemn'd by Pope _Innocent_ III.

The Ancients were of Opinion, that there is a certain Cell in the Womb
of some Women, into which the Seed falling, when _Mercury_ and _Venus_,
or _Mercury_ and _Luna_ are in Conjunction, an Hermaphrodite is
engender'd; or that the Conjunction of _Mars_ and _Venus_ disposes the
Matter that serves for t