Ockham's initial project of exposing and removing John XXII raised important questions in spite of itself. For although the goal was a change of persons rather than offices, this could be achieved only if offices and official responsibilities were regarded in a more flexible way than Ockham's contemporaries found tolerable. Hence, while he did not abandon his attack on the Avignonese popes, Ockham devoted more attention after 1337 to the papal office than to its occupants. Similarly, although he defended particular actions of Ludwig of Bavaria and his allies in this period, Ockham's main writings on secular politics were also pitched at a more general, institutional level. Following Ockham's own order of thought, then, we must go on to consider the basis, functions and proper relations of supreme spiritual and secular power.