BISHOP OF LONDON SUPPLIES MONEY TO PRINT BIBLES
In 1529 Bishop Tunstal went to Antwerp to seize Tyndale's Testaments, and by a singular coincident Tyndale also was there and so it happened that one Parkington, who favored Tyndale, was at Antwerp at the same time. On being informed by the bishop that he would be glad to buy the Testaments, Parkington told him that, as he knew those who had them for sale, he could buy "every book of them that is imprinted and is here unsold." The bargain was made, and as has been said by the quaint chronicler:
The bishop, thinking he had God by the toe, when indeed he had, as after he thought, the devil by the fist, said: "Gentle Mr. Parkington, do your diligence and get them; and with all my heart I will pay for them whatsoever they cost you, for the books are erroneous and nought, and I intend surely to destroy them all, and to burn them at Paul's Cross." Augustus Parkington came to William Tyndale, and said: "William, I know that thou art a poor man, and hast a heap of New Testaments and books by thee, for which thou hast both endangered thy friends and beggared thyself; and I have now gotten thee a merchant, which, with ready money, shall dispatch thee of all thou hast, if thou think it so profitable for yourself." "Who is this merchant?" said Tyndale. "The Bishop of London," said Parkington. "Oh, that is because he will burn them," said Tyndale. "Yea, marry," quoth Parkington. "I am the gladder," said Tyndale, "for these two benefits shall come thereof: I shall get money to bring myself out of debt, and the whole world will cry out against the burning of God's Word; and the overplus of the money that shall remain to me shall make me more studious to correct the New Testament, and so newly to imprint the same once again, and I trust the second will much better like you than ever did the first." And so went forward the bargain; the bishop had the books; Parkington had the thanks, and Tyndale had the money.
After this, Tyndale corrected the same New Testament, and caused them to be newly imprinted, so that they came thick and threefold over into England. When the bishop perceived that, he sent for Parkington, and said to him: "How cometh this, that there are so many New Testaments abroad? You promised me that you would buy them all." Then said Parkington: "Surely, I bought all that were to be had, but I perceive they have printed more since. I see it will never be better so long as they have letters and stamps; wherefore you were best to buy the stamps, too, and so you shall be sure." At which the bishop smiled and so the matter ended.