rch; and there, in the chapel of the old and now ruined castle, that
he had first celebrated the Lord's Supper with the same purity and
simplicity with which it was afterwards observed in the fully reformed
Church of Scotland.[97] Even in exile and working as a slave in the
galleys his heart had turned with special pleasure to the scene of his
first labours, and he had cherished the confident expectation that God
would again bring him to the place where he had first opened his mouth,
and permit him again to preach from its pulpit the precious truths of
His Holy Word.[98]

[Sidenote: The Victory.]

This expectation he believed that God had then fulfilled, and neither
the threats of adversaries could make him quail from his purpose, nor
the counsels of timid friends move him to let slip the opportunity which
he believed God had then given him of bearing full and faithful
testimony to the truth of God in that important city.[99] He therefore
boldly proclaimed before the dignitaries of the church, the doctors of
the university,[100] and the magistrates of the burgh, as well as
before more humble citizens, that doctrine of the grace of God which had
long been his own solace and support, and was then being more generally
recognised and embraced by his countrymen. Having thus seized the
opportunity and improved it to the utmost, his efforts were so
abundantly blessed by God that the cause of truth and right finally
triumphed there. The reformed worship was by general consent peaceably
set up, and the authority of the archbishop was virtually ended in the
very stronghold of his power. That which, with the divine blessing, the
reformer's preaching then accomplished in St Andrews, was by the same or
similar means effected in the chief cities of the kingdom, and
throughout the greater part of the lowlands, almost within the compass
of a single year. In fact, four months after his arrival, he could write
to his friends: "Nothwithstanding the fevers have vexed me, ... yitt
have I travelled through the most part of this realme where (all praise
be to His blessed Majestie) men of all sorts and conditiouns embrace the
Truthe.... We doe nothing but goe about Jericho, blowing with trumpets
as God giveth strenth, hoping [for the] victorie by His power
alone."[101] The reformer's expectation of victory, and of victory by
the persuasive means which Bishop Hooper affirmed were alone legitimate
and in accord with Christ's will, was neither d