John Ray
A naturalist who made significant contributions to taxonomy, defining the concept of a species and publishing influential works on plants and animals.
Most quoted
"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
— from Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation
"The wisdom of God is conspicuously seen in the admirable contrivance of the bodies of animals, and the exquisite fitness of their several parts to their respective functions."
— from The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation, 1691
"Let us then with all diligence apply ourselves to the study of nature, that we may thereby be led to admire and adore its great Creator."
— from Preface to Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum
All quotes by John Ray (391)
I often reflect on the fleeting nature of life, and the enduring legacy of knowledge.
The natural world is a book written by the hand of God, waiting to be read.
I have found that patience and perseverance are essential in all scientific endeavors.
The number of plants and animals in the world is fixed and immutable, having been created by God in the beginning.
All things in this world are ordered by the Divine Providence, and nothing happens by chance.
The great business of natural history is to describe and classify the works of God.
By species, I mean a collection of individuals which are so much alike that they may be supposed to have sprung from the same seed.
It is not enough to observe; we must also compare and generalize.
The whole creation is a standing monument of the infinite wisdom and goodness of its Author.
Let us then with all diligence apply ourselves to the study of nature, that we may thereby be led to admire and adore its great Creator.
There is no such thing as a spontaneous generation of living creatures.
The structure of the human body is a most convincing proof of the wisdom and design of God.
Every creature is made for some end and purpose.
The true method of natural history is to begin with particular observations and from thence to proceed to general rules.
God has made nothing in vain, but everything for some use and purpose.
The more we know of the works of God, the more we shall admire His wisdom and power.
It is a great satisfaction to me to have contributed something to the advancement of natural knowledge.
The classification of plants and animals is essential for understanding the natural world.
The variety of creatures is so great, that it is impossible for any one man to know them all.
Let us not be so presumptuous as to think we can comprehend all the works of God.
Contemporaries of John Ray
Other Biologys born within 50 years of John Ray (1627–1705).