RayarguedthegoodnessandwisdomofGodfromtheadaptationoftheanimalsnotonlytoman’susesbuttotheirownlivesandsurroundings。
InthefirstyearsoftheeighteenthcenturyDr。NehemiahGrew，oftheRoyalSociety，publishedhisCosmologiaSacratorefuteanti-scripturalopinionsbyproducingevidencesofcreativedesign。Discussing“theendsofProvidence。”hesays，“Acrane，whichisscurvymeat，laysbuttwoeggsintheyear，butapheasantandpartridge，bothexcellentmeat，layandhatchfifteenortwenty。”Hepointstothefactthat“thoseofvaluewhichlayfewatatimesittheoftener，asthewoodcockandthedove。”HebreaksdecidedlyfromthedoctrinethatnoxiousthingsinNaturearecausedbysin，andshowsthatthey，too，areuseful；that，“ifnettlessting，itistosecureanexcellentmedicineforchildrenandcattle“；that，“ifthebramblehurtsman，itmakesallthebetterhedge“；andthat，“ifitchancestopricktheowner，ittearsthethief。”“Weasels，kites，andotherhurtfulanimalsinduceustowatchfulness；thistlesandmoles，togoodhusbandry；liceobligeustocleanlinessinourbodies，spidersinourhouses，andthemothinourclothes。”Thisveryoptimisticview，triumphingoverthetheologicaltheoryofnoxiousanimalsandplantsaseffectsofsin，whichprevailedwithsomuchforcefromSt。AugustinetoWesley，wasdevelopedintonoblerformduringthecenturybyvariousthinkers，andespeciallybyArchdeaconPaley，whoseNaturalTheologyexercisedapowerfulinfluencedowntorecenttimes。Thesametendencyappearedinothercountries，thoughvariousphilosophersshowedweakpointsintheargument，andGoethemadesportofitinanotedverse，praisingtheforethoughtoftheCreatorinforeordainingthecorktreetofurnishstoppersforwine-bottles。
ShortlybeforethemiddleofthenineteenthcenturythemainmovementculminatedintheBridgewaterTreatises。PursuanttothewilloftheeighthEarlofBridgewater，thePresidentoftheRoyalSocietyselectedeightpersons，eachtoreceiveathousandpoundssterlingforwritingandpublishingatreatiseonthe“power，wisdom，andgoodnessofGod，asmanifestedinthecreation。”Ofthese，theleadingessaysinregardtoanimatedNaturewerethoseofThomasChalmers，onTheAdaptationofExternalNaturetotheMoralandIntellectualConditionofMan；
ofSirCharlesBell，onTheHandasevincingDesign；ofRoget，onAnimalandVegetablePhysiologywithreferencetoNaturalTheology；andofKirby，onTheHabitsandInstinctsofAnimalswithreferencetoNaturalTheology。
BesidesthesethereweretreatisesbyWhewell，Buckland，Kidd，andProut。Theworkwaswelldone。Itwasamarkedadvanceonallthathadappearedbefore，inmatter，method，andspirit。