Number, which agree in the same _Form_, from whence flows the Property
of_descending_ continually, whilst there is nothing to hinder their
Descent: And whensoever they are forc'd to move upwards, if they are
left to themselves, they immediately, by the Power of their _Form_, tend
downwards again. Now, some part of this Number, _viz_. Plants and
Animals, tho' they do agree with all that Multitude before mention'd, in
that _Form_; yet still have another _Form_ superadded to it, from whence
flow _Nutrition_ and _Accretion._ Now the meaning of _Nutrition_ is,
when the Body that is nourish'd, substitutes in the room of that which
is consum'd and wasted from it self, something of the like kind, which
it draws to it self, and then converts into its own Substance.
_Accretion_, or Growing, is a Motion according to the three Dimensions,
_viz. Length, Breadth,_ and _Thickness_, in a due Proportion. And these
two Actions are common to Plants and Animals, and do without doubt
spring from that Form which is common to them both, which is what we
call the _Vegetative Soul_. Now part of this Multitude, _viz._ Animals,
tho' they have the first and second Forms in common with the rest, have
still a third Form superadded, from which arise Sensation and Local
Motion, Besides, he perceiv'd that every particular _Species_ of
Animals, had some Property which, distinguish'd it, and made it quite
different from the rest, and he knew that this Difference must arise
from some Form peculiar to that _Species_, which was superadded to the
Notion of that Form which it had in common with the rest of Animals. And
the like he saw happen'd to the several kinds of Plants.

§ 45. And it was evident to him, that the Essences of those sensible
Bodies, which are in this sublunary World, had some of them more
Qualities superadded to their _Corporeity_, and others, fewer. Now he
knew that the Understanding of the fewer, must needs be more easie to
him, than the Understanding of those which were more in number. And