USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Boston notions; being an authentic and concise account of "that village," from 1630 to 1847 > Part 29
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council thought best not to interpose any farther, than to caution those who were about to erect the house, to conform to the laws on that subject. The house was erected on the spot where the Old South meeting house now stands, at the corner of Washington and Milk Sts. ; on land given for that purpose by the widow of the Rev. Joshua Norton : it was built of cedar, two stories high, with a steeple, gallery and pews; the pulpit being at the side of the church as now. Feb. 16, 1670, Mr. Thacher was installed its pastor. The present brick edifice was finished and occupied April 26, 1730, O.S. In 1775 the British troops destroyed most of the inside wood work, to make room for the drill of their cavalry; it was elegantly repaired in 1782; its spire is elevated 180 feet. This building was a favorite one with the choice spirits of 1772 and the tea party of 1773, when the citizens congregated too numerously for Faneuil Hall (which was then but half its present size) and its walls have re-echoed to the best and purest principles of patriotism and religion.
Rev. Thomas Thacher, settled Feb. 16, 1670.
ISTORS. Died Oct. 15, 1673. Samuel Willard, 6 April 10, 1678. " Sept. 12, 1707. Eben'r. Pemberton, 6. Aug. 28, 1700.
" Feb. 13, 1717. Jos. Sewall, D.D, Sept. 16, 1713. " June 27, 1769. Thomas Prince, Oct. 1, 1718. " Oct. 22, 1759.
Alex. Cumining, 66 Feb. 25, 1761.
Samuel Blair, D.D. 6 Nov. 19, 1766.
John Bacon, Sept. 25, 1771.
Aug. 25, 1763. Resign. Oct. 10, 1769. " Feb. 8, 1775.
Jolını Hunt, 66 Sept. 25. 1771.
Jos. Eckley, D.D. 66 Oct. 27, 1779.
Jos Huntington, May 18, 1803.
Feb. 21. 1821.
Died Dec. 20, 1775. " April 30, 1811. " Sept. 11. 1519 Resign. Nov. 12, 1532.
B. B. Wisner, D.D. " Samuel HI. Stearns, " April 16, 1934. March 8, 1836. Present Pastor.
George W. Blagden,“ Sept. 25, 1836.
The principles of the Church are Calvinistic.
KING'S CHAPEL.
Among the early emigrants were a few who favored the Episcopalians in church worship; and in 1646, a petition 2*
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was sent in to the general court, " humbly entreating liberty ' to the members of the church of England, to enjoy all those 'liberties and ordinances that Christ hath purchased-till in- 'conveniences hereby be found prejudicial to the churches ' and colony." This petition was so unfavorably received, that it is probable the Episcopalians gave their favorite hope to the winds for many years.
When the Commissioners from Charles II., came to Boston in 1665, they had a chaplain with them : The colony's Agents in London and the general court in answer to com- plaints made on account of an exclusive form of worship, promised that no person should be hindered from the per- formance of the E. Church services, and from that time a . society seems to have been forming.
Oa the 15th of June, 1677, a meeting was held which may be considered the origin of the first Episcopal society in Boston and'also in America : It commenced with Mr. Robert Rateliffe, (who came over in the Rose Frigate, May 15th, 1686.) as minister; and fourteen members : at their meetings it was agreed to send addresses to the King, The Lord Bishop of Canterbury and to the Lord Bishop of London, " to implore those prelates' favor." It was also agreed, that the prayers of the church be said every Wednesday and Friday ; for the present, in the library chamber of the town house: Mr. Thomas Hill was appointed clerk and Mr. Smith (carpenter) Sexton.
The first step towards erecting their church was an address to the President and Council, July 16th, 1686, for liberty and authority by a brief, to pass through the whole dominions of H. M., in New England and collect voluntary donations for that object; Gov. Andros arrived in December of that year. and not finding the E. Church people so well accom- modated as the Pedobaptists, made application for the use of one of their churches, and having examined the three, made choice of the Old South, and sent Randolph for the keys :
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The proprietors declared they could not in conscience suffer the house to be so occupied : Andros however, persisted, and on Friday, March 25th, 1687, had the services performed there : " good man Needham, though he had resolved to the ' contrary, being persuaded upon, rang the bell and opened ' the door at the Governor's command .??
It is probable that the Council granted the brief, as peti- tioned for to obtain subscriptions, as they then proceeded to build ou part of the land now occupied by the Stone Chapel: how the society obtained that lot does not appear : it had belonged to the town ; but whether Johnson, as is the opin- ion of some had reserved a portion of it for the site of a church, or according to the opinion of others, that Andros in the plenitude of his power, over the annihilated charter, which gave the King power to be lord of the soil, and of his own will appropriated it for the use of the church, must re- main undecided.
The first record that speaks of it as finished, is dated July, 1689 ; with a list of 106 contributors to the amount of £256, 9s. ; The cost of the house was £284,16s. exclusive of items not charged : It was built of wood : with a steeple but with- out any pews : in 1694, fifty-three persons subscribed towards erecting pews : down to May 1698, it was called his Majes- ty's Chapel : in November, King's Chapel, and in 1713, Queen's Chapel in honor of Queen Anne; in 1710 the build- ing was enlarged. Their organised title of " King's Chap- el, " must be preserved for the protection of bequests to the Church having that name: the present Stone editice being four years in building, was completed in 1754, and divine servi- ces performed therein, August 21st, of that year; Mr. Free- man was pastor in 1783, and during his ministry, various alterations were made in the liturgy, omitting the doctrines of the trinity, and it became the first Unitarian church in America, in manner as follows :
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After the return of the Bostonians to their habitations and houses in 1777, King's Chapel society, gave the free use of their Church to the Old South Society, while their church was undergoing repairs from damage and desecration by the British troops under Lord Howe; these repairs being finished on the 23d of Feb., 1782, they assembled in their own sanctuary : the remaining proprietors, or a majority of them, determined to return to their former mode of worship, and invited the Rev. James Freeman as pastor ; which being ac- cepted, he commenced as Reader, Oct. 20th, 1782 : the so- ciety adopted the Unitarian liturgy altered from the Common prayer book of the Church of England, following the plan of Dr. Clarke : on Lord's day, Nov. 18th, 1787, after evening service, Mr. Freeman was ordained as Rector, Priest, &c., by the Wardens, Vestry, proprietors and congregation : a minority of the church, entered a protest against it, because they had introduced a liturgy different from any used in the Episcopal Churches, and articles of faith they said were " unscriptural and heretical : "-Another " protest or excom- munication " was issued against them by the Episcopal Churches in Boston, Salem, Marblehead, Newburyport and Portsmouth ; the society however has pursued the even ten- or of its own course, rejoicing ; and if they may not have the fair countenance of the Episcopal Church in amity, their Rectors have ministerial intercourse with the Boston Asso- ciation of Clergymen.
PASTORS.
Robert Ratcliff, Rector. Inducted June 15, 1696. Resigned 1699
Robert Clarke, Assistant. 66
1696. 16:9 Samuel Myles, Rector. 66
June 29, 1689. Died Mar. 1, 1728 George Hatton, A.M. Assistant.
June 15, 1693. Resigned July, 1696 Christopher Bridge, 6 March 5, 1699. Remov. Sept. 23, 1706 Henry Harris, 66 Roger Price, Rector.
6. April 1, 1709. Died October 16, 1729
= June 25, 1729. Resign. Nov. 27, 1746
Ths. Harward, A.M. Assistant.
April, 1731. Died April 15, 1736
Addington Davenport, A.M. As. April 15. 1737. Resigned May 8, 1740.
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Pislaks
1, 11. 1:11
Hemy Canet, 1 D. Rector. .. April 11, 1712 " Mat. 10. 1276.
Chas, Brockwell, A.M. Assistant, .. 1717. Died August 20, 1755.
John Troutbeck, A. M. ..
: 1755. Resigned Nov. 1776.
James Freeman, D. D. Rector. Inducted Oct. 18, 1782, and minister Nov. 19, 1787, died Nov. 14, 1535
Samuel Cary, Associate Minister. Inducted Jan. 1. 1509. Died Oct. 22. 1915 Franeis W. P. Greenwood, D.D., min. Ind. Aug. 29, 1824. Died Aug. 2, 1843. Ephraim Peabody, minister. Inducted Jan. 11, 1516. Present Pastor.
BRATTLE STREET CHURCH, A.D. 1698.
The seventh religions society formed in Boston, was the fourth congregational, or Brattle St. Church : " A number of good men," says Dr. Thacher's century sermon, " distin- guished for their liberality of thinking as well as for their re- gard for the gospel and its ordinances, "laid the foundation of this church : " their earliest date of association, was Jan. 10, 1698, on which day Thomas Brattle conveyed to them a piece of land called Brattle's close, being part of the lot they now occupy : the number of the Society or of grantees, was twenty. " As to the doctrines of religion," these good men did not differ professedly from their brethren of other churches, while they thought that in some respects, the reli- gious practices of the day might be improved :" in the spring of 1699, they sent a letter of invitation to Mr. Benja. Colman, in London, a native of Boston and a graduate from Harvard University, then finishing his studies in England, to becorne their pastor : and apprehending some difficulty in procuring an ordination here, that ceremony was attended to in London on the 4th of August.
On the 1st of Nov. Mr. Colinan arrived in Boston, and on the 17th the church put forth "a manifesto or declaration of their aim and design, and the rules with God's aid, they in- tended to adhere to:" on Tuesday, Dec. 12th, a meeting was held at Mr. Mico's house, and after asking for divine blessing, twenty three persons united to forin the church :
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the 24th being the Lord's day, was the first meeting held in their " pleasant new-built church : " Mr. Colman preached on the occasion from 2d Chron. vi. 18: The " Manifesto" and other "miscarriages " which the society had " fallen into," gave so great offence, that some of the clergy refused to unite with them in the observance of a day of prayer : but by some means they became united in a similar solemnity Jan. 31, 1700, when both the Mather's and Mr. Willard joined in the services.
They adopted the custom of reading part of the holy serip- tures, and to have the Lord's prayer used at every service : the admission to full communion was deemed by the first settlers of the country, a matter of great importance, and that none should partake of the privilege but such as were truly born of God ; consequently, a relation of experiences was re. quired, either oral or written : and this had degenerated into a mere form and with so much similarity of stereotype, as often to provoke ridicule : this church did not require it, although every one was free to do so or not.
In the choice of a minister and other officers, the usage had been to confine its privileges to those only who were in full communion with the church : in this respect they dif- fered, and acted on the principle, that every baptised adult who contributed to the support of the church, should have a voice in the elections.
Dec. 20, 1699, they voted to dispense with the practice of singing the Hymns, line by line, and about the year 1717, formed a singing society to practice by note, which was the first one opened in Boston.
By way of derision, it was called "THE MANIFESTO CHURCH," but they have lived through it and even prospered.
Their first church was built of wood, and after a lapse of seventy three years, the corner stone of the present noble edifice was laid June, 1772, on the same spot, and a meeting held there July 25, 1773.
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This building was used as a barrack for the British troops under General Howe in 1776, and his quarters were in a house opposite : on the night previous to his evacuating the town, March 17, a cannon ball from the American army at Cambridge, hit the west front of the church, which was picked up and firmly affixed in the cavity it had formed :
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PASTORS.
Rev. Benj. Colman, D.D., settled Ang. 1, 1099. Died Aug. 29, 1717. Wm. Cooper, May 23, 1710. Died Dec. 13, 1743.
Samuel Cooper, D.D. May 22, 1746. Died Dec. 20, 17-3.
Peter Thacher, D. D. Jan. 12, 1785. Died Dec. 16, 1502.
J. S. Buckminster, Jan. 30, 1:05. Died June 9, 1512.
Edward Everett, Feb. 9, Is11. Resigned March 5, 1815.
John G. Palfrey, D.D. June 17, 1818. Resigned May 22, 1830.
S. Kirkland Lothrop, June 15, 1:31. This society is Unitarian in sentiment.
Present Pastor.
The wife of Dr. Samuel Cooper was somewhat a singu- lar woman, and to show her wit on one occasion when the Dr. expected some of the head people of his Church at his house, he requested his wife to prepare a light supper for them, and on retiring to the supper room for refreshments there was nothing eatable on the table, yet a full supply of plates and a large number of lights-a light supper !
Mr. Buckminster on retiring from a singing meeting of his society one evening when it was so slippery that it was with difficulty they could keep on their understandings, Mr. B. said to his companion, " if we do not C# we shall Bb .??
NEW NORTH CHURCH.
In 1712, seventeen enterprising mechanics united for es- tablishing a church at the corner of Hanover and Clark Sts. under the title of the New North Church. Mr. Matthew Butler the father of the association, with his associates ob- tained leave for erecting a small building of wood : it was homely and convenient and finished as is observed in an ancient manuscript " without the assistance of the more
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wealthy part of the community excepting what they derived from their prayers and kind wishes .??
The house was dedicated May 5th, 1714. The two Ma- thers, father and son, took part in the ceremonies: the church covenant that evening was signed by twenty one in- dividuals : Mr. Webb was unanimously elected pastor and was ordained Oct. 20. Dr. J. Mather acted as moderator. Dr. E. Mather addressed the throne of grace. Mr. Webb gave the discourse : the moderator gave the charge and his son the right hand of fellowship : the exercises closed with a hymn and benediction. Ninety two years after erecting the aforesaid building, the society razeed their ancient sanctuary and raised one on the same site, of brick, capacious, hand- some and durable : this was dedicated May 2, 1804.
PASTORS.
Rev. John Webb, settled Oct. 20, 1714. Died April 16, 1750. Peter Thacher as coll. Jan. 2-, 1723. March 1. 1739. Andrew Eliot, D.D. set. April 11, 1712. = Sept. 13, 1778. John Eliot, D.D., " Nov. 3, 1779. = Feb. 11, 1:13.
Francis Parkinan, D.D. sett Dee. 8, 1-13. Present Pastor.
Amos Smith, ord. as coll. Dec. 7, 1512. Resigned June 6, 1517. This Church is Unitarian in principle. See pages 215 to 221.
NEW SOUTH CHURCH ON CHURCH GREEN.
Forty-four subscribers associated in the good work of form- ing a church in Summer Street, Sept. 20th, 1715, and pre- sented a petition to the selectmen of Boston for the grant of the piece of land there known as " the Church Green," for · the erection of a meeting house thereon, the size to be forty five feet by sixty five : the petition was signed by Samuel Adams and thirteen others; the prayer of the petitioners was granted and their house was dedicated Jan. 8. 1717, the Rev. Benj. Wadsworth of the Old South and Cotton Mather, each delivered a sermon which was printed: Jan. 11th a committee was raised to supply the pulpit, allowing 20s. for
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each sermon ; Sept. 2.1, 1718, Mr. Samuel Checkley of Bos- ton was unanimously invited to become their pastor and he was as such ordained April 10, 1719.
Ninety seven years after creating the above edifice, the present octagonal, granite building was completed and ded- icated Dec. 29, 1814; this was an extremely eminent and elegant structure in its day, for symmetry of design and ex- cellence of finish, and is remarkable as being the first 10 adopt the modern high windows in a public building; the steeple is 190 feet elevation, of an agreeable style in its graduations to the vane.
PASTORS.
Rev. Sammel Checkley, settled Nov. 22, 1719.
Died Dec. 1, 1769. Pennei Bowen, ": call. April 30, 1766. Resigu. May 9, 1772. Joseph Howe, May 19, 1773. Died Aug. 25, 1775.
Oliver Everett. Jan. 2. 1752. J T. Kirkland, D.D. I. b. 5, 1291. .. Nov. 1:10. Sam. C. Thacher, settled May 15. 1:11. Died Jan. 2. 1-19.
Resign. May 26, 1792.
F. W. P. fr. enwood, " O.1. 21. 151%. Resigned Dec. 1-20. Alexander Young, D.D., settled Jan. 19, 1995. Present Pastor.
This church professes the I'mitarian principles. See pages 21 - 10 221.
NORTH EPISCOPAL " CHRIST CHURCH," 1723.
The second Episcopal society in Boston, worship in Salem street Church, near to Copp's Hill : a number of gentlemen united and purchased the land on which the church stands, and the Rev. Samuel Myles caused notice to be given to all persons favorably disposed towards building a church, to meet at King's Chapel, Sept. 2d., 1722 ; agreeable to said notice several persons attended, and then appointed a com- mittee for raising funds "by willing contribution ? for that objeet : 214 persons subscribed various sums, amounting in all to £727,183. sterling (about $2931,60.)
1723, April 15th, the corner stone was laid of CHRIST Ci Ren, by the Rev. Samuel Myles, of King's Chapel ; ac- companied by the gentlemen of his congregation : the build-
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ing was completed and opened for public worship on the 29th of December of the same year, by a sermon by the Rev. Timothy Cutler, D.D., as Rector from Isaiah LVI .- 7. " For mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all ' people : " to an audience of about 400, and the number of purchasers of pews at that time was 53 : in 1815, this so- ciety opened a Sabbath school which was the first institution of the kind among us, and which has been universally fol- lowed by other societies.
The steeple was of a beautiful design, admired universally as a perfect model for symmetry of proportions; it was hurled from its elevation on the brick tower, by the great whirlwind in Oct. 1804 : with a contribution of four thousand dollars from the citizens, a new one was soon elevated, combining as near as possible all the marked beauties of the former, to a height of 175 feet.
This church has the only chime of eight bells in the city : the cast inscriptions on each bell, is as follows :
1st, Bell :- " This peal of 8 Bells is the gift of a number of generous persons to Christ Church, in Boston, N. E., anno 1744, A.R."
2d .- " This church was founded in the year 1723 ; Timo- thy Cutler, D.D., the first Rector, A.R., 1744 .??
3d .- " We are the first ring of Bells cast for the British Empire in North America, A.R., 1744 .??
4th,-" God preserve the Church of England, 1744 .??
5th,-" William Shirley, Esq., Governor of the Massachu- setts Bay, in New England, anno. 1744 .??
6th,-" The subscription for these Bells was begun by. John Hancock and Robert Temple, church wardens, anno. 1743 ; completed by Robert Jenkins and John Gould, church wardens. anno. 1744 .? '
7th,-" Since Generosity has opened our mouths, our tongues shall ring aloud its praise. 1744.77
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8th,-" Abel Rudhall, of Gloucester, cast us all, anno. 1744."
PASTORS.
Rev. Timothy Cutler, settled Dec. 29, 1723. Died Aug. 17, 1765.
James Greaton, coll. May 30, 1759. Resigned Aug. 31, 1767.
Mather Byles, Jr. D.D., set. April 22, 1768. " April 1775. Stephen Lewis, settled Aug. 1778. Sept. 1785.
William Montague, settled April 1786. May 1792.
William Walter, D.D., settled May 19, 1792. Died Dec. 5, 1500.
Samuel Haskell, settled May 1901. Resigned Sept. 1503.
Asa Eaton, D.D., settled Oct. 23, 1803. Resigned May 1:29.
Wm. Crosswell, A.M., settled June 24, 1829. June 1:10.
John Woart, A.M., settled Nov. 1, 1840. Present Pastor.
FEDERAL STREET CHURCH, 1729.
The thirteenth religious society in Boston was formed by Presbyterian emigrant families from Scotland to Ireland during the reign of James I .- they came to Boston in 1722, accompanied by their pastor, the Rev. John Moorhead ; they purchased the lot with a barn on it, at the corner of Bury street and Long lane (now Berry and Federal Si. ) they al- tered the barn for a place of worship and in time added two wings to it : this continued to be their church until 1744, when a new and convenient edifice was created : at this time they had twelve elders adapted to the twelve divisions of their congregation into districts. Mr. Moorhead was set- tled March 30, 1730. " He was most cordially attached to his flock and they cherished him with a reciprocal affec- tion : with the zealous enforcement of doctrines which he sincerely espoused, he was unwearied in his endeavors to promote and maintain a virtuous practice among his people : he was favored with a good constitution and his labors were uninterrupted until a few days before his decease, Dec. 2, 1773, in his 70th year.
Between that time and 1783, when the Rev. David Annan became their pastor, no record of their doings is to be found :
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he resigned the office in 1786, and on the 6th of August fol- lowing the society relinquished the Presbyterian doctrines and embraced the Congregational religion by a unanimous vote.
Dr. Douglass, in his Summary, speaking of Mr. Moor- head's congregation, has the following note. They erected a Presbyterian meeting house in Boston; Mr. John Moorhead their Presbyter, as appears by an "inscription in two col- umns, and not elegant."
THE FIRST COLUMN.
This church of Presbyterian strangers was congregated an: dom. 1720. Anno. dom. 1744, by a small but generous Illa man ebit. Labilis e contra si sit erana. Suprema. Desiderio J. M. hujus ecclesi :.
THE SECOND COLUMN.
This building was begun anno dom. 1742, and finished
Number. Hujus fundamen saxion est. Domuts
Peribit. Gloria Christi lex nostra
Christique pastor, and first preached in May 6th.
" Latin and English interlarded is new, excepting in bur- lesque; likewise the disposition of these lines is singular, and to be rightly understood must be read by uniting the lines in each column ; the first line of the first column, on to the first line of the second column," &c.
" This inscription was probably in collateral columns. It is perplexing to read it in the form in which it is placed by Dr. Douglass, and it may be acceptable to have it presented in a more intelligible arrangement. In doing this we take the liberty to include the Latin portion in a parenthesis, and to correct a probable typographical error in the third line of the inscription, substituting the word arena for erana.
"This Church of Presbyterian strangers was congregated Anno Dom. 1729. This building was began Anno Dom. 1742, and finished Anno Dom. 1744, by a small but gener- ous number. (Hujus fundamen saxum est. Domus illa manebit. Labilis è contra si sit urena peribit. Gloria Christi
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lex nostra suprema. Desiderio J. M. hujus ecclesia, Christique pastor) and first preached in May 6th.
From Dr. D's. observations on this inscription, one would be led to believe it was erected in the church, but it was not there within the recollection of any one of the society.
It was the Federal St. Church where the Massachusetts convention congregated, when debating and deciding on the confederating constitution of the United States in 1783; and from that time, the name of the street was changed from Long lane to Federal St.
The present imposing Gothic Building was erected in 1809, and dedicated to sacred purposes Nov. 23d of that year.
PASTORS. Rev. John Moorhead, settled March 30, 1733. Died Dec. 2, 1773.
Robert Annan, 1783. Resigned 1786
Jere. Belknap, D.D. settled April 4, 1787. Died June 20, 1793 J. S. Popkin, D.D. July 10, 1799. " Nov. 23, 1802 Wm. E. Channing, D.D. settled June 1, 1803. " Oct. 2, 1842 Ezra S. Gannett, D. D. colleague, June 30, 1:24. Present Pastor.
The principles of the society are Unitarian. See pages 218 to 221.
HOLLIS STREET . CHURCH, 1732.
A proposition was made by Ex-Governor Belcher that if any suitable number of persons would associate for building a church, that he would present to them a lot of ground in Hollis Street for that purpose : a meeting was held on the subject at Mr. Hopestill Foster's house, Jan. 21, 1731 ; when twenty six persons subscribed for that object, and on the 2d of March the land was conveyed to them by deed; a house was built of wood 40 by 30 feet with a steeple : it was ded_ icated June 18, 1732. On the 14th of November the church was gathered with fasting and prayer under the guidance of the Rev. Joseph Sewall, of the Old South Church. Nov. 20th, they unanimously invited the Rev. Mather Byles to the pastoral charge, and he was ordained Dec. 20th, delivering his own ordination sermon from 2 Tim. ii-17.
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