Editing Natural theology (section)

==Early modern==
[[Raymond of Sabunde]]'s (c. 1385–1436) ''Theologia Naturalis sive Liber Creaturarum'', written 1434–1436, but published posthumously (1484), marks an important stage in the history of natural theology. [[John Ray]] (1627–1705) also known as John Wray, was an [[English people|English]] naturalist, sometimes referred to as the father of English [[natural history]]. He published important works on [[plants]], [[animal]]s, and natural theology, with the objective "to illustrate the glory of God in the knowledge of the works of nature or creation".<ref>{{cite book | title=The English Parson-Naturalist | publisher=Gracewing | author=Armstrong, Patrick | year=2000 | pages=46 | isbn=0-85244-516-4}}</ref> [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz]] (1646–1716) established another term for natural theology as theodicy, defined exactly as "the justification of God".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Principles of Natural Theology 2|url=https://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/pnt01.htm#n_1|access-date=2020-10-09|website=maritain.nd.edu}}</ref> He viewed the science in a positive light as it supported his personal ethical belief system.<ref>{{Citation|last=Youpa|first=Andrew|title=Leibniz's Ethics|date=2016|url=https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2016/entries/leibniz-ethics/|encyclopedia=The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy|editor-last=Zalta|editor-first=Edward N.|edition=Winter 2016|publisher=Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University|access-date=2020-10-09}}</ref>

[[William Derham]] (1657–1735) continued Ray's tradition of natural theology in two of his own works, ''Physico-Theology'', published during 1713, and ''Astro-Theology'', 1714. These later influenced the work of William Paley.<ref>Weber, AS., ''Nineteenth-Century Science: An Anthology'', Broadview Press, 2000, p. 18.</ref>