Actually, as I think we have discussed before, Henry was mildly supportive of Tyndale at the time of his arrest, due to the influence of Queen Anne. A letter was sent in his name to support mercy for Tyndale, but it wasn’t well received on the continent, which knew full well that Henry had no problem with burning heretics, including those from Belgium.
I suspect Henry was more concerned along the lines of James after him, who saw weakening of church power as ultimately weakening his own. But who he supported varied from day to day, it seems. He killed Thomas More before Tyndale died, and Tyndale died for heresy under Charles V, not Henry VIII.
***He killed Thomas More before Tyndale died, and Tyndale died for heresy under Charles V, not Henry VIII.***
Are you sure? Tyndale died in 1536. Henry Tudor died in 1547. The actual convictions according a variety of sources that I’ve seen were treason AND heresy, some combination of them both. Henry broke with Rome in 1533; he was acting in his own stead, and not as a Catholic during the hunt for Tyndale. He went along with the Catholic charges of heresy, but he had his own treason worked in there because the 1530 book Practyse of Prelates, and subsequent personal attacks on Henry enraged him.
***Henry was mildly supportive of Tyndale at the time of his arrest, due to the influence of Queen Anne. A letter was sent in his name to support mercy for Tyndale, but it wasn’t well received on the continent, which knew full well that Henry had no problem with burning heretics, including those from Belgium.***
It may be that it was simply appeasement to Queen Anne. Henry certainly did not relent in searching for Tyndale, nor did he ever act in calling off his own agents.