ThenextgreatmanofthatagewhomthetheologicalandecclesiasticalforcesofthetimeturnedfromtherightpathwasVincentofBeauvais。DuringthefirsthalfofthetwelfthcenturyhedevotedhimselftothestudyofNatureinseveralofhermostinterestingfields。Toastronomy，botany，andzoologyhegavespecialattention，butinalargerwayhemadeageneralstudyoftheuniverse，andinaseriesoftreatisesundertooktorevealthewholefieldofscience。ButhisworksimplybecameavastcommentaryontheaccountofcreationgiveninthebookofGenesis。BeginningwiththeworkoftheTrinityatthecreation，hegoesontodetailtheworkofangelsinalltheirfields，andmakesexcursionsintoeverypartofcreation，visibleandinvisible，butalwayswiththemostcompletesubordinationofhisthoughttotheliteralstatementsofScripture。Couldhehavetakenthepathofexperimentalresearch，theworldwouldhavebeenenrichedwithmostpreciousdiscoveries；buttheforcewhichhadgivenwrongdirectiontoAlbertofBollstadt，backedasitwasbythewholeecclesiasticalpowerofhistime，wastoostrong，andinallthelifelabourofVincentnothingappearsofanypermanentvalue。HerearedastructurewhichtheadaptationoffactstoliteralinterpretationsofScriptureandtheapplicationoftheologicalsubtletiestonaturecombinetomakeoneofthemoststrikingmonumentsofhumanerror。[271]
[271]ForVincentdeBeauvais，seeEtudessurVincentdeBeauvais，parl’AbbeBourgeat，chaps。xii，xiii，andxiv；alsoPouchet，HistoiredesSciencesNaturellesauMoyenAge，Paris，1853，pp。470etseq；alsootherhistoriescitedhereafter。
ButthetheologicalspiritofthethirteenthcenturygaineditsgreatestvictoryintheworkofSt。ThomasAquinas。Inhimwasthetheologicalspiritofhisageincarnate。Althoughheyieldedsomewhatatoneperiodtoloveofnaturalscience，itwashewhofinallymadethatgreattreatyorcompromisewhichforagessubjectedscienceentirelytotheology。Heitwaswhorearedthemostenduringbarrieragainstthosewhointhatageandinsucceedingageslabouredtoopenforsciencethepathbyitsownmethodstowarditsownends。
HehadbeenthepupilofAlberttheGreat，andhadgainedmuchfromhim。Throughtheearliersystemsofphilosophy，astheywerethenknown，andthroughtheearliertheologicthought，hehadgonewithgreatlabourandvigour；andallhismightypowers，thusdisciplinedandcultured，hebroughttobearinmakingatrucewhichwastogivetheologypermanentsupremacyoverscience。
Theexperimentalmethodhadalreadybeenpracticallyinitiated：