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THE

SCOTTISH CHRISTIAN HERALD,

CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF
THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

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THE DEATH OF JOHN KNOX, AND ARRIVAL OF ANDREW MELVILLE, BY THE REV. THOMAS M'CRIE, EDINBURGH.

up their hands in horror at the execution of Archbishop Hamilton, who confessed on the scaffold his participation in the infamous transaction!

In awarding their due meed of praise to the instruments employed by Providence in accomplishing the Scottish Reformation, it would be ungrateful to pass without notice the services Knox did not long survive the good Regent, rendered to the cause by James Earl of Murray. whose untimely death he, in common with the This excellent nobleman, who succeeded to the whole country, deeply deplored. Having returned regency after the deposition of his sister, Queen to Edinburgh, he resumed, with his usual ardour, Mary, was so universally respected and beloved as his ministerial labours, in which he was now ably a governor, that he obtained the popular appella- assisted by his colleague, John Craig. But a tion of The Good Regent. Warmly attached to stroke of apoplexy, from the effects of which he the Reformation from its commencement, and never fully recovered, and his incessant cares, evincing by his private virtues the sincerity of his brought on him prematurely the infirmities of religious professions, he entered on his office at a age, and he was soon unable to make himself be critical period, when it may be said, that, to his heard in the large church of St. Giles. The prudence and decision Scotland owed, under God, following description of his personal appearance the preservation of the Reformed religion. To at this time, given by James Melville in his the unfortunate Queen, while she retained the Diary, is exceedingly striking. "Of all the reins of Government, he testified all brotherly benefits I had that year (1571), was the coming kindness; and when she had forfeited the regards of that maist notable prophet and apostle of our of all good men and the loyalty of all good sub-nation, Mr John Knox, to St. Andrews. I heard jects, the noble firmness with which he upheld him teach there the prophecies of Daniel. I had the dignity of Government, and prosecuted the my pen and my little book, and tuk away sic murderers of the late King, exposed him to the things as I could comprehend. In the opening vengeance of these mean-spirited assassins. One up of his text he was moderat, the space of an Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, whose life the Regent halff-houre; but when he enterit to application, had spared after it had been forfeited to the laws of he made me sa to grew and tremble, that I culd his country, smarting under an injury which he nocht hald a pen to wryt. I hard him oftymes unjustly ascribed to the man who had pardoned utter these thretenings, in the hicht of ther pryde, him, watched him as he rode through Linlithgow, quhilk the eyes of monie saw cleirlie brought to and taking aim at him through a window, which pass. Mr Knox wald sumtyme com in and rehe had darkened for the purpose, mortally wounded pose him in our college-yard, and call us scholars him, and escaped on horseback. This dastardly to him and bless us, and exhort us to know God deed, which in the manner as well as the spirit in and his wark in our country, and stand by the which it was perpetrated, has nothing to redeem guid caus. I saw him everie day of his doctrine it from a resemblance to the base attempts of a (preaching) go hulie and fear (cautiously), with a modern Fieschi, has been actually applauded by furring of martriks about his neck, a staff in the the modern partizans of Mary; while they hold an hand, and guid godlie Richart Ballenden, his Life of Knox. ii., 165, and Note W. The story, so often retail-servand, haldin up the other oxtar, from the Abbey ed, about Regent Murray's cruelty to Hamilton's wife has been to the paroche kirk, and by the said Richart and of Crawfurd's Memoirs, a book which has been proved to be a tissue an other servant, lifted up to the pulpit, whar he of fabrications from beginning to end. See Preface to "Historie of behovit to lean at his first entrie, bot or he had

found out to be a complete forgery, resting solely on the authority

King James the Sext." Bannatyne edit.

No. 14. APRIL 6, 1839.—1d]

[SECOND SERIES. VOL. I.

done with his sermont, he was sa active and vigo- | rus, that he was lyk to ding that pulpit in blads and flie out of it."

held up as a fierce and gloomy bigot, equally a foe to polite learning and innocent enjoyment, and in his conduct towards the Queen of Scots, to whose winning loveliness the rugged Reformer afforded an inviting though most invidious contrast, he was represented as acting the part of a perfect barbarian. We have cause to rejoice that the cloud of popular prejudice against our Reformer has now been dispelled. His character has been placed in its proper light; the attempts which have been made to revive the exploded calumnies of his enemies, whether by sentimental admirers of Queen Mary, or by the lovers of apostolic succession, have met with no credit or sympathy from the public; and, to the honour of my countrymen I record it, the breasts of all true Scotsmen have once more learnt to vibrate in unison with the manly worth, the sacred patriotism, and the hightoned principle of the Scottish Reformer.

Knox, at his death, left the affairs of the Church in a very unsettled state. Hitherto the Church of Scotland had contended chiefly for the honour of Christ in his priestly and prophetical offices, against the corruptions of the Papacy; she was soon called to struggle for the credit of his royal office, as the King of Zion, against the encroachments of civil power and prelatic ambition. Even before the death of Knox, an attempt was made to alter her form of government. In the year 1572 a convention, composed of superintendents and other ministers supposed to be favourable to this design, met at Leith, and through the influence of Morton, were induced to consent that the titles of archbishop, bishop, &c., should be retained; and that qualified persons among the ministers should be

But the time was fast approaching, when this zealous servant of Jesus Christ was to rest from his labours. Feeling his end approaching, he desired that some one should read to him every day the seventeenth chapter of John's Gospel, the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, and a portion of the Epistle to the Ephesians. To his colleague, elders, and deacons, assembled in his room, he said, "The day approaches for which I have long and vehemently thirsted, when I shall be released from my great labours and sorrows, and shall be with Christ. I know that many have complained of my too great severity; but God knows that my mind was always void of hatred to the persons of those against whom I thundered the severest judgments." On Sabbath, after lying quiet for some time, he suddenly exclaimed, " If any be present, let them come and see the work of God." He then burst out into these rapturous expressions, "I have been these two last nights in meditation on the troubled state of the Church of Christ, despised of the world, but precious in the sight of God. I have called to God for her, and commended her to her husband, Jesus Christ. I have fought against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things and have prevailed." Having seemed to fall into a slumber, interrupted with heavy moans, and being asked why he sighed so deeply, he replied, "I have during my frail life sustained many assaults of Satan; but at present he has assailed me most fearfully, and put forth all his strength to make an end of me at once. The cunning serpent has laboured to persuade me, that I have merited hea-advanced to these dignities. The General Assemven and eternal blessedness by the faithful discharge of my ministry. But blessed be God, who has enabled me to quench this fiery dart, by suggesting to me such passages of Scripture as these, What hast thou, that thou hast not received?' and, By the grace of God, I am what I am.' A little after he said, "Now for the last time," touching three of his fingers as he spoke, "I commend my soul, spirit, and body, into thy hand, O Lord." He then gave a deep sigh, saying, "Now it is come!" His attendants perceiving that he had lost his speech, requested him to give them a sign that he heard them, and died in peace; upon which he lifted up one of his hands, and sighing twice, expired without a struggle. He died in the sixty-seventh year of his age, November 24, 1572. His funeral was attended by the Regent Morton, all the nobility in town, and a vast concourse of people. And when his body was laid in the grave, Morton pronounced over it the short but emphatic epitaph,--" There lies he, who never feared the face of man!"

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Such was the latter end of one whose name, while he lived, was a terror to the enemies of the Reformation, and whose memory, since the day of his death, lay under a load of unmerited reproach, from which it has only lately been rescued. In the popular histories of the day John Knox was

bly, which was held the same year, condemned this innovation; but it served the design of Morton, which was, that these bishops should be nominally put in possession of the whole benefices, but should rest satisfied with a small portion to themselves, and enter into a private bargain to deliver up the rest to him and other noblemen who acted with him. The ministers who were so mean as to accept of bishoprics under this disgraceful and simoniacal paction, exposed themselves to general contempt, and were called, by way of derision, tulchan bishops—a tulchan being a calf's skin stuffed with straw, which the country people set up beside the cow to induce her to give her milk more freely. "The bishop," it was said, "had the title, but my lord had the milk." They might, with equal truth, have been called phantom bishops, for most of them had no Episcopal ordination, and they had no share in the government of the Church.

Still, however, the introduction of these nominal dignitaries threatened the future peace of the Church, and the prospect of the confusions to which it might give rise, embittered the last hours of Knox, whose "dead hand and dying voice" were raised against the innovation. Hume of Godscroft informs us that the Reformer "rebuked Morton sharply for divers things, but especially

for his labouring to set up and maintain the estate of bishops;" and shortly before his death, he admonished the same nobleman to maintain the Church of God and his ministry, warning him that if he did it not, "God would spoil him of all, and his end would be ignominy and shame ;"-a prediction, which Morton acknowledged, before his execution, he had " fand true indeid."

the nobility so severely for truckling to Queen Mary) again manifested itself. Perceiving that the Assembly were trifling in the matter, he turned to Mr Davidson, and said, "Brother, look for no answer here. God hath taken away the hearts from men, that they dare not justify the truth, lest they displease the world. Therefore, cast you for the next best." "What is that?" said Davidson. "Go home with me," replied his sagacious friend. Nay," added he, seeing that the young minister hesitated; "ye may lawfully flee when ye are persecuted." Davidson, finding that Morton was determined against him, accepted the kind invitation, and set off under the laird's protection to Kinyeancleuch. On their journey, Campbell was seized with a severe and fatal illness. Drawing near to his end, this faithful and pious gentleman could not restrain his emotions when he thought of the state in which he left the Church of his native land. "A pack of traitors," he exclaimed, referring to some of the ministers, "have sold Christ to the regent, as manifestly as ever Judas did! What heal heart can contain itself unbursting?" And he burst out into tears, accompanied with loud sobs and lamentations. Then addressing himself to Mr Davidson, "Take my best horse with you," he cried, "and ride away with my blessing. The Lord bless you," he added, hastily thrusting out his hand; "gird up your loins, and make to your journey; for ye have a battle to fight, and few to take your part but the Lord only."

The history of the Church during Morton's regency, from 1572 to 1578, presents little more than a series of struggles between the Court and the Kirk, all occasioned by the attempts of the Regent to intrude the spurious species of Episcopacy of which we have spoken. For some time he appeared likely to obtain the advantage. The old heroes of the Reformation were fast dying out; and their successors, dreading the effects of the Regent's resentment, or unwilling to show an example of insubordination by resisting his authority, were yielding up, inch by inch, the liberties of the Church. I have no doubt, the idea which many of you have formed of the Presbyterian clergy, from the common accounts of the period, is, that they were as a body, and to a man, rude fanatics, who took a delight in opposing the civil power, and set themselves up as spiritual dictators to king and subjects. This is another of your generalizing fallacies. The truth, as attested by the whole course of history, is, that the great body of the Scots ministers were a simple and facile race of men, easily deceived or overawed; and had it not been for a few active and energetic spirits, stirred up from time to time by a gracious Provi- I cannot pass this anecdote without giving dence, (to whom the whole praise is due,) to stem utterance to a reflection which I have no doubt the tide of defection, they would, on more than one has already occurred to many of you. How occasion, have bartered away their dearest privi- seldom amongst our people, and alas! how seldom leges without a struggle. Such, I am sorry to amongst our gentry, do we now meet with a simisay, was the case at the period of which we now lar example of such tender-hearted concern for the speak. And an incident occurred in 1574 which interests of Zion! Amidst all the professions of displayed their pusillanimity, as well as the grasp-zeal that we hear, how rarely, among any class ing avarice of the Regent. Among other plans of Christians, does the low state of religion in the for replenishing his coffers, Morton had fallen on Church, draw a tear from the eye, or a sob from the expedient of uniting three or four parishes un- the heart! der the care of one minister. Mr John Davidson, who afterwards became minister of Prestonpans, and made a considerable figure in the history of the Church, and who was at this time a young man and regent in the University of St. Andrews, had composed a poetical dialogue, which he called A Conference betwix the Clark and the Courtier.' and in which he exposed, in terms more plain than pleasant, the mischievous and disreputable character of the practice. Among other lines, the poem contained the following:

"Had gude John Knox not yet been deid,
It had not cum unto this heid:
Had they myntit till sic ane steir,

He had made hevin and eirth to heir."

Morton was highly incensed at this jeu d'esprit, and threatened the author with prosecution. The poem was presented to the General Assembly for their judgment, and it was too evident that his brethren were afraid to give it the sanction of their approbation. On this occasion, the honest spirit of Campbell of Kinyeancleuch (the same who rated

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While matters were in the critical state now described, the cause of truth was revived, and a new spirit infused into the counsels of the Church, by the arrival in Scotland of another champion of the Reformation, whose name deserves a place next to that of Knox,-ANDREW MELVILLE. This accomplished scholar and divine had been residing for ten years on the Continent, where he added to the learning which he had acquired at home, and which had procured him a very high character in the literary world. Endowed with all the firmness, intrepidity, and integrity of Knox, Melville was enabled, from his superior literary endowments, to confer lasting benefits on his country, by introducing salutary reforms into its universities, and reviving a taste for letters. He was successively appointed principal of the University of Glasgow, and of the New College, St. Andrews; and being also a minister and a professor of divinity, he had a right to sit in the

Calderwood's MS. Hist, vol. iv, ad an. 1574. Adv. Libr.

Church Courts. It was not long before he was called to lend the powerful aid of his talents in the struggle of the Church against Episcopacy. And among other services, he had a chief hand in the composition of the Second Book of Discipline, which, after long and deliberate discussion, was approved and adopted by the General Assembly in 1578.

covered at Jerusalem, which he had in person examined, and from the remains found therein he was led to believe it to be the "Aceldama; or, Field of Blood," purchased with the thirty pieces of silver returned by Judas to the Jewish priests! The doorway of this tomb was of a mixed architecture, the pillars and pediment being Grecian; the floral embellishments on the architrave Hebrew, and the door itself solid stone, hung on horizontal hinges. Inside it was a large chamber hewn out of the solid rock, each having smaller

remains were found. The skulls which he exhibited were of nations who never inhabited that land, therefore "strangers" at Jerusalem at this period. No Jewish remains were found. The skulls belonged to the Mongolian, Ethiopian, or the mixed races; two of them, on the authority of Dr Pritchard, were of Turkish origin, one an African, probably a negro of Mosam. bique. The tomb was accidentally discovered by an Arab of the village of Siloe. The inference Dr Wilde drew was, that it was the true Potter's-field, being used for the burial of strangers who died in Jerusalem.

MEANS OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.
BY THE REV. DUNCAN MACFARLAN,
Minister of Renfrew.

1. BEFORE THE GIVING OF THE LAW.

Of this Book, which, though it was not ratified by Parliament, still forms a standard work in the Church of Scotland, we may remark, that it de-crypts in each of the three sides, in all of which human fines the government of the Church still more exactly than the First Book of Discipline, which was drawn up hastily to meet the emergency of a sudden conversion from Popery. It draws the essential line of distinction between civil and ecclesiastical power; declaring, that Jesus Christ has appointed a government in his Church distinct from civil government, which is to be exercised in his name by such officers as he hath authorised, and not by civil magistrates, or under their direction. Civil authority, they say, has for its direct and proper object, the promoting of external peace and quietness among the subjects; ecclesiastical authority, the directing of men in matters of religion and conscience; yet as they are both of God, and tend to one common end, if rightly used, viz., the glory of God and making men good subjects, they ought to co-operate within their tive spheres, and fortify without interfering with one another. They claim the right of Church Courts, as courts of Christ, to convene and settle business independent of the civil power. These courts were divided into sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies. They admit of no superiority of office in the Church above a teaching presbyter-no pastor of pastors. None are to be intruded into the ministry, contrary to the will of the congregation. And among the abuses which they desire to see reformed by the State, are the usurped authority of bishops, and lay-patronages, which they declare lead to intrusion, and are incompatible with "lawful election, and the assent of the people over whom the person is placed, as the practice of the apostolical and primitive Kirk and good order craves."

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Of the discipline thus briefly sketched I shall only say, that while Presbyterians never alleged an inspired prescription for every part of its details, they consider its leading and characteristic principles to be of divine origin, or, to use the language of Calderwood, "to be taken, not out of the cisterns of men's invention, but from the pure fountains of God's Holy Word." At the same time, its subordinate arrangements are supported by the general rules of Scripture. They are simple, well calculated to preserve order and unity, and promote the edification of the flock of Christ; and, when duly observed, they will be found as much opposed to clerical domination as to popular

confusion.

ACELDAMA; OR, THE FIELD OF BLOOD.
AT a late meeting of the College of Physicians in
Dublin, a highly interesting paper was read by Dr
Wilde, giving an account of a remarkable tomb dis-

THE history of what happened before the flood is too brief to contain any minute or very exact account of religious instruction. A few statements, however, bearing on this subject do occur. Cain," it is said, "brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord; and Abel, he also brought of the firstlings

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of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering; but, unto Cain and to his offering, he had not respect." Gen. iv. 3-5. With regard to the grounds of this preference for Abel and his offering, the Apostle Paul says,—" By faith

Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than

Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was rightcous, God testifying of his gifts; and by it he, being dead yet speaketh." Heb. xi. 4. Whatever else may be learned from these passages, they prove at least, that even from the beginning, the worship of God was observed sacrificially; that sacrifices and other oblations were offered by private individuals; and farther, that through sacrifice in particular, the faith of God's people was carried forward towards Him who was to

come.

It is also mentioned, that on the birth of Enos,

that is about the year 235, "men began to call upon the name of the Lord;" or as it is rendered in the of the Lord." Gen. iv. 26. If the former of these be margin, "men began to call themselves by the name the right interpretation, then have we in it evidence of of special means for religious instruction; and if the the commencement of public worship, and consequently latter, the Church must have then separated from the world, and this would at least favour the employment of such means.

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And at any rate, we know, that earth," corruption increased, and means of a "when men began to multiply on the face of the marked and influential description became necessary. About the year 687, Enoch commenced his ministry. In the Book of Genesis it is merely said, that "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." v. 24. Even this probably implies such extra

ordinary intercourse with God, as was then vouchsafed to prophetic or other special messengers. But Jude is quite express on this subject. "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 14, 15. The second coming of Christ was yet very far distant. But the deluge which was to the men of that generation, what the destruction of Jerusalem was afterwards to the Jews, a precursor and foreshadowing type, was nearer. And Enoch seems to have been raised up, amidst the corruptions of that age, to warn men of the catastrophe, and through it of the end of all things, when the Son of man sball come to judge the world. It is farther noticeable respecting Enoch, that his being "translated that he should not see death," was eminently fitted to illustrate the doctrine of a future state, and thus to confirm his testimony concerning Christ's second appearance. After Enceh, "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God." Gen. vi. 9. And the Apostle Peter says, that " God spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly." 1. Peter ii. 5. There is another passage in the writings of the same apostle further illustrative of Noah's ministry. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which Spirit also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited, in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water." 1. Peter iii. 18.-20. This passage is rightly understood to speak of what Christ did by his Spirit through the ministrations especially of Noab, during the time of the building of the ark, and in behalf of those who afterwards perished in the flood, and were, in the days of the Apostle, spirits in the prison of hell. There is yet another passage, and also in the Book of Genesis, bearing on the same point. "And the Lord said, my Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." Gen. vi. 3. These were the hundred and twenty years taken up in building the ark. And yet, previous to that period, God had been striving by his Spirit. And how? Not surely without means? No, but through the ministrations of such preachers of righteousness as Noah and Enoch. And these ministrations and this striving were continued to the flood. The sum, therefore, of our information respecting this first period of patriarchal history, the antediluvian is, that so far as appears, there were neither kings nor priests then in office; the duties usually discharged by these, being performed by the heads of families; but that the prophetical office, including the communications of public instruction, were probably continued from the time of Enoch down at least to the flood.

From this decree sacrifice continued to be offered, and instruction to be communicated by the heads of

families. Instances of this will be found in the history of Noah, of Job, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, as may be seen in Gen. viii. 20; Job i. 5; Gen. xii. 8; xiii. 4; xv. 9, 11, 17; xxi. 33; xxii. 1-14; xxvi. 25; xxxi. 54; xxxiii. 20; xxxvi. 1-7. But besides sacrificing, these and other patriarchs are described as holding special intercourse with heaven. Examples of this will be found in Gen. viii. 21, 22; ix. 1–17; xii. 1– 3, 7; xiii. 14; xv. 1-21; xvii. 1-22; xviii. 1–33; xxii. 1, 2, 15–18; xxv. 22, 23; xxvi. 2–5, 23, 24; xxviii. 10-22; xxxi. 11–13; xxxii. 1, 4, 24-30; xxxv. 9–13. And there is a circumstance mentioned concerning some of them, which has not been generally noticed_ we mean the practice of heads of families, blessing, and even sometimes cursing their offspring. It was thus that Noah cursed Canaan, while he blessed Shem and Japheth; that Isaac blessed Jacob, granting the lesser blessing to Esau, and that Jacob blessed his sons, making also a distinction. In their cases, there was, the guidance of an unerring Spirit, but the practice was, we believe, general; and it formed part of what belonged to the heads of families in their official and religious character. And as an example of the more ordinary duties of family instruction and discipline, we need only quote God's testimony concerning Abraham, "For I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." Gen. xviii. 19.

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But while there is thus reason to believe that all the three offices of prophet, priest, and king, were mainly fulfilled by the heads of families, there are proofs also of the existence of these in separate and distinct parties. Melchizedek for example, was king of Salem," and "priest of the Most High God." And in this latter capacity, he blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave him tithes of his spoils. (Gen. xiv. 18-20.) This indeed, was only one of many instances of the union of the kingly and priestly office, in some other than the head of the family. When families grew into tribes, and tribes into kingdoms, this was what commonly took place. The chief or king inherited, with the kingly, also the priestly office; and offered sacrifices just as the head of a family would have done. But there is an instance, occurring in very ancient times, of the separation of these, and the employment of a distinct order of men as priests. Egypt is usually considered as the most ancient of civilized nations; as having attained to a very high degree of social improvement, while most of the world besides existed only as separate tribes. mention is made of a separate order of men in Egypt, devoted to the priestly office, and maintained at the public expense in the days of Joseph, or rather before his time: but also continued under his administration. "Only the lands of the priests bought he not: for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat the portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their lands." Gen. xlvii. 22. This was their usual practice. "They are not," says Herodotus, obliged to consume any part of their private property : each has a portion of the sacred viands ready dressed assigned him, besides a large and daily allowance of beef and geese. They have also wine, but are not permitted to feed on fish." (Euterpe, 37.) Then as to land, he says, "that each had about twelve acres assigned

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