The king's peace-making prospered little. The impetus of a great victory was not to be arrested by mild persuasions. A commission was appointed by the Catholic leaders to reap the desired fruits. Such of the London citizens as had most distinguished themselves as opponents of reformation in all its forms--those especially who had resisted the introduction of the Bible--formed a court, which held its sittings in the Mercers' Chapel. They "developed the statute" in what were termed "branches of inference"; they interpreted "speaking against masses" to comprehend "coming seldom to mass." Those who were slow in holding up their hands "at sacring time," or who did not strike their breasts with adequate fervour, were held to have denied the sacrament. In the worst temper of the Inquisition they revived the crippled functions of the spiritual courts: they began to inquire again into private conduct,--who went seldom to church--who refused to receive holy bread or holy water--who were frequent readers of the Bible, "with a great many other such branches."[472] "They so sped with their branches" that in a fortnight they had indicted five hundred persons in London alone. In their imprudent fanaticism they forgot all necessary discretion. There was not a man of note or reputation in the City who had so much as spoken a word against Rome, but was under suspicion, or under actual arrest. Latimer and Shaxton were imprisoned, and driven to resign their bishoprics.[473] Where witnesses were not to be found, Hall tells us significantly, "that certain of the clergy would procure some, or else they were slandered." The fury which had been pent up for years, revenge for lost powers and privileges, for humiliations and sufferings, remorse of conscience reproaching them for their perjury in abjuring the Pope, whom they still reverenced, and to whose feet they longed to return, poured out from the reactionary churchmen in a concentrated lava stream of malignity. [Sidenote: The bishops' zeal is greater than their discretion.] [Sidenote: A general pardon is granted once more.] The blindness of their rage defeated their object. The king had not desired articles of peace that worthless bigots might blacken the skies of England with the smoke of martyr-fires. The powers given to the crown by the Act of Proclamations recoiled on those who bestowed them, and by a summary declaration of pardon the bishops' dungeon doors were thrown open; the prisoners were dismissed;[474] and though Cromwell had seemed to yield to them in the House of Lords, their victims, they discovered, would not be permitted to be sacrificed so long as Cromwell was in power. [Sidenote: The Vicar of Stepney, who has denounced authority in violent language, is called on to recant.] [Sidenote: He yields an ambiguous obedience.]