SOURCE: Williams, C. H. “The Propagandist.” In William Tyndale, pp. 84-98. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, 1969.

In the following essay, Williams examines Tyndale's propaganda treatises and their degree of success.

It would be a mistake to think of Tyndale simply as a translator of the Scriptures. Important as his New Testament was to become in the history of the English Bible, there has been a tendency to overestimate its importance in the early stages of the English Reformation. That its influence was great need not be argued, but it was delayed and indirect, whereas the propaganda writings were more immediately influential in marshalling protestant opinion in England. Tyndale's influence came not only from his own personal contribution: he was the pioneer interpreter of Luther's ideas to English readers, and as such played a large part in directing the lines along which the leaders of the Reformation in...