Norwasthisall。Hewasnotcontentwithbooksorconversations;
steadilyhewentoncollecting，collating，andtestingoriginaldocumentsbearinguponthegreateventsofhistime。Theresultofallthistheworldwastoseelater。
Hehadarrivedatmiddlelifeandwonwiderecognitionasascholar，scientificinvestigator，andjurist，whentherecamethesuprememomentofastrugglewhichhadinvolvedEuropeforcenturies，——astruggleinterestingnotonlytheItalyandEuropeofthosedays，butuniversalhumanityforalltime。
DuringtheperiodfollowingthefalloftheRomanEmpireoftheWesttherehadbeenevolvedthetemporalpoweroftheRomanBishop。Ithadmanyvicissitudes。Sometimes，asinthedaysofSt。LeoandSt。Gregory，itbaseditsclaimsuponnobleassertionsofrightandjustice，andsometimes，asinthehandsofpontiffslikeInnocentVIII。andPaulV。，itsoughttoforceitswaybyfanaticism。Sometimesitstrengtheneditsauthoritybyrealservicestohumanity，andsometimesbysuchmonstrousfraudsastheForgedDecretals。Sometimes，asunderPopeslikeGregoryVII。andInnocentIII。，itlaidclaimtothemastershipoftheworld，andsometimes，aswiththemajorityofthepontiffsduringthetwocenturiesbeforetheReformation，itbecamemainlytheappanageofapartyorfactionorfamily。
Throughoutallthishistory，thereappearedintheChurchtwogreatcurrentsofefficientthought。Ononesidehadbeendevelopedatheocratictheory，givingthepapacyapowersupremeintemporalaswellasinspiritualmattersthroughouttheworld。