Which early naturalist believed that God created everything and only wanted to document God's creations?

The early naturalist who believed that God created everything and aimed to document these creations is John Ray. Ray is recognized for his significant contributions to natural history and taxonomy in the 17th century. He emphasized the idea that the diversity of life and the intricate designs of organisms were manifestations of divine creation. His work involved extensive classification of plants and animals, focusing on the systematic organization of living things, which he interpreted as a way to appreciate and understand God’s handiwork.

In contrast, other figures mentioned in the choices had different perspectives. For example, George-Louis Leclerc, also known as Buffon, explored notions of natural history that included evolutionary thoughts though still within a providential framework. George Cuvier is known for establishing paleontology and arguing for catastrophism, which emphasizes sudden, natural disasters shaping life rather than a focus on direct divine creation. Carolus Linnaeus developed the binomial nomenclature system for naming organisms and contributed greatly to taxonomy, but his work didn't center as much on the theological aspect of documenting God's creations in the same way Ray's did.