The Execution of William Tyndale

http://www.tyndale.org/DeCoursey/life.html

"Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.” Those stirring words were uttered outside the Vilvorde Prison on October 6, 1536, after they killed him", as per William Tyndale.

He travelled to London to ask the Bishop, Cuthbert Tunstall, for support in his work. Tunstall rebuffed him. At this time, King Henry VIII was still the defender of the Catholic faith. “ Lord open the Kings eyes Realizing he could not translate the Bible in England, Tyndale accepted the help of a London merchant and went to Germany in 1524. He never returned to England, but lived a hand-to-mouth existence, dodging the Roman Catholic authorities

Tyndale was engaged in a conversation with a fellow priest concerning the need for the Scriptures to be in the English language. At that time, because of the Oxford Constitutions enacted in the previous century, it was not permissible to own a copy of the Bible in the English language.

Tyndale’s companion was not convinced of the need for the Scriptures in English. He is reported to have said, "that as long as people had the Bishop of Rome’s laws, the Scriptures were not needed". 

"The Flesh vs the faith through the Spirit"

"Although there have been some who are convinced that the popular religion was adequate to meet the spiritual needs of the people, most students of English history speak of clerical ignorance, low standards of morality, and other vices.

To this Tyndale replied, “I defy the Pope and all his laws, if God spare my life, I will make a boy that driveth the plough know more of the Scripture than thou dost. Tyndale did not only speak of the ploughboy having the Scripture in a familiar language, but he also said that he would make him to know more of the Scripture than one who had been educated for the priesthood in the church. Tyndale not only had the intention of translating the Scriptures but providing a means by which a person could understand what the Scriptures meant" as per Samworth 2013.