“He continued to have money and influence, and hated Tyndale.”
He had the influence of a well-known man widely respected for his gifts. In fact, he did continue polemics against Mr. Tyndale even after his resignation from office.
But formal influence with the government, not so much. And wealth? No. Actually, in the last few years of his life, he had little money. He anticipated that his refusal to accept the Act of Succession might bring about the seizure of his property and income-producing assets. Thus, he began to convey his assets to folks who would use them for the benefit of his family. And, indeed, bills of attainder were passed against him.
By the time he was in the Tower of London, he'd already divested himself of most of his assets, and before the end of that year, bills of attainder had been passed. You, yourself said that Mr. Phillips received his payment near the end of 1534. By this point, St. Thomas had been in the Tower of London for over six months. His family's material situation by this point was rather precarious. It's pretty far-fetched that St. Thomas, at this late date, was paying folks to hunt down heretics. Such an argument has fallen prey to the logical fallacy of special pleading.
Here's something from the Encyclopedia Britannica on the topic:
“More meanwhile continued his campaign for the old faith, defending England’s antiheresy laws and his own handling of heretics, both as magistrate and as writer, in two books of 1533: the Apology and the Debellacyon. He also laughs away the accusation of greed leveled by William Tyndale, translator of parts of the first printed English Bible. More’s poverty was so notorious that the hierarchy collected £5,000 to recoup his polemical costs, but he refused this grant lest it be construed as a bribe.”
St. Thomas laughs at the accusation of greed, in light of his impoverished conditions in 1533.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/392018/Sir-Thomas-More/5008/Years-as-chancellor-of-England
sitetest
Interesting points. Thanks.