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)
The study of insects is a most curious and entertaining part of natural history.
The world is full of wonders, if we but open our eyes to see them.
Every plant and animal has its proper place in the great chain of being.
The more accurately we describe nature, the more we glorify God.
I have endeavoured to be as accurate and exact as possible in my descriptions.
The works of nature are so many books, in which we may read the wisdom of God.
It is by comparing one thing with another that we arrive at a true knowledge of both.
The study of nature is a cure for idleness and a source of perpetual delight.
The order and beauty of the universe proclaim a wise and powerful Creator.
I have always preferred the testimony of my own senses to the authority of others.
The classification of species should be based on observable characteristics.
Let us not despise the smallest creatures, for in them also is manifest the wisdom of God.
My aim has been to reduce the vast multitude of plants to a certain order and method.
The study of natural history is a noble and worthy pursuit.
The more we understand the mechanisms of life, the more we are filled with awe.
I have endeavoured to lay down such rules as may be useful to others in their inquiries.
The natural world is a constant source of instruction and delight.
The wisdom of God is conspicuous in the least as well as in the greatest of His works.
To neglect the study of nature is to neglect the study of God's handiwork.
My hope is that my labours may contribute to the glory of God and the benefit of mankind.
Contemporaries of John Ray
Other Biologys born within 50 years of John Ray (1627–1705).