In Meaux, he removed all church statues except for Christ, replaced the Hail Mary with the Pater Noster prayer, and made available vernacular French versions of the Gospels and Epistles.

This group of humanists became known as the Circle of Meaux and included Josse van Clichtove, Guillaume Farel, Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples, Martial Mazurier, Gérard Roussel, and François Vatable.

The members of the Meaux circle were of different talents but they generally emphasized the study of the Bible and a return to the theology of the early Church.

Permanent damage had been done to Briçonnet's reform efforts however, and he found it impossible to continue his attempt to regenerate the spiritual life of his diocese.

After the breakup of the Circle of Meaux Briçonnet served for another nine years as bishop before his death, dismayed at the growing reaction in the Catholic Church against all attempts at internal reform that smacked of possible heresy.