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 classification of plants and animals is essential for understanding their relationships.
The beauty of the creation is a clear demonstration of the divine power and wisdom.
Every creature is a miracle of divine art.
The more we contemplate the works of God, the more we are filled with reverence and adoration.
The order and harmony of the universe proclaim the existence of a wise and powerful Creator.
The proper study of mankind is nature.
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.
The greatest pleasure of life is love.
To be ignorant of the works of God is to be ignorant of God himself.
The structure of the human body is a masterpiece of divine wisdom.
The senses are the inlets of all knowledge.
Reason is the candle of the Lord.
The end of all knowledge is to know God.
The more we search into the secrets of nature, the more we discover of the infinite wisdom of God.
The world is a great book, in which are written the wonders of God.
The study of nature is a cure for atheism.
The works of creation are a standing sermon to all mankind.
The contemplation of nature is a source of perpetual delight.
The true philosopher is he who studies nature with a humble and reverent spirit.
The more we know, the more we see our ignorance.
Contemporaries of John Ray
Other Biologys born within 50 years of John Ray (1627–1705).