EVANGELICAL UNION. 306 EVANS. pendent, but many congregations have ruling elders. Consult Ferguson, The History of the Evangelical Union (Glasgow, 1876). EVAN'GELINE. An exquisite idyllic poem by Longfellow, deriving its title from its heroine, and published in 1847. It is the story of two lovers, Gabriel and Evangeline, who are parted during the deportation of the Acadians by the British in 1755. The lovers vainly seek each other, but are brought together only at Gabriel's deathbed, after many years. EVANGELIST (Gk. tiayyeXtarfy, evange- listes, bringer of good tidings, from evayyeXi feir&ti, evangelizesthai, to preach the Gospel, from eiay- y£u>v,evangelion, gospel). A term which oc- curs in the New Testament, and designates one of the several phases of ministry that grew up with the work of the early Church (Acts xxi. 8; Eph. iv. 11; II. Tim. iv. 5). The service which it represented was of a missionary character, itinerating rather than local, pioneer rather than supplemental, its purpose being to carry the Gospel message to new parts, preparing the way with aggressive work for the more settled and organizing service which should follow, though not necessarily without a local centre for work, as Philip had in Coesarea and Timothy in Ephe- sus. In post-Apostolic times this service underwent a radical change, losing its missionary character and even its itinerant form ; so that the term came to be used for those who, in public worship, read and explained the written Gospels, and for those who, apart from all connection with Church service, transmitted in writing the Apostolic teaching, coming finally to have exclusive refer- ence to the writers of the four Gospels. This has continued to be its distinctive meaning, though it is also used to-day, somewhat in its earlier sense, to denote a preacher of the Gospel whose work is given specifically to awakening personal interest in religion and who is not permanently connected with any local field nor devoted to the usual service of the pastorate. Consult : ZSckler, "Diakoncn und Evangelisten," 'mBibUsche und kirchenhistorische Studien (Munich, 1893) ; Reville, Les origines de I'episcopat (Paris, 1895) ; Zahn, M issionsmethoden im Zeitalter der Apostel (Erlangen, 188fi). EVAN'GELISTA'RION (ML., from MGk. etiayyei<TTdptoi>, book of selections from the Gos- pels, from Gk. eiayyfXiov, evangelion, gospel). A lectionary or service book of the Greek I 'hurch, containing the lessons taken from the Gospels for each day in the year. The custom of assigning to each day some portion or portions of Scrip- ture as its appropriate reading was in vogue very early in the Eastern Church. In process of time usage in this respect became quite uniform, each day of the year haying its special lesson from the Go pels and another from the Epistles or Acts. In addition to these regular daily readings, holy and Baints' days had their own appropriate read- ings assigned. It was customary to mark, in red i,:! -. in the texl of New Testament manuscripts, where the appointed lessons began or ended, by the words or abbreviations "pxv or apx (=be- ginning) and rekotOTriK (=end), while on the margin or al the bottom of the page the clay to which the le ion belonged was indicated. Bui more nil ill for u-e were (he books containing col- lection- nf the reading in mged in chronological order. If such a book included only Gospel les- sons, it was called an Evangelistarion ; if the lessons were those from the Acts and Epistles, the book was called a Praxapostolos. If the book included both, it was a Euchologia, or Book of Offices. Lists or tables of such readings were also in circulation, called Synaxaria. If a table was of the daily readings only, it was called an Eclogadion; if of the readings for saints' days- only, it was called a Menology. Hundreds of manuscripts of Evangelistaria are in existence, some of them quite sumptuous. They date from the sixth century onward, and many are of con- siderable value for the textual criticism of the New Testament. Consult Scrivener, Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament (4th ed., London, 1894). See Lectionary. EVANGELISTS, Symbols op the Four. la Christian art of the fifth century, the symbols used for the authors of the four Gospels are : For Matthew, a man's face ; for Mark, a lion ; for Luke, an ox; for John, a flying eagle — all allud- ing to the four cherubim before the throne of God described in the Revelation. As developed later, Matthew is represented by a man holding a pen and scroll, looking over his left shoulder at an angel, who perhaps represents the dictator of the Gospel; Mark, by a man writing, with a winged lion at his side; Luke, by a man with a pen, looking over a scroll, and near by an ox or cow; John, by a young man, with an eagle in the background. Speculation as to the meaning of these symbols has little value. Consult Jame- son, Sacred and Legendary Art (London, 1806). EVANS, Augusta Jane (1835—). An American author, born near Columbus, Ga. She was married to L. X. Wilson in 1808. Her works consist of a number of novels, popular in their time, such as Inez: A Tale of the Alamo (1856) ; lieulah (1859); Saint Elmo (1866); Yashti (1869); At the Mercy of Tiberius (1887); and A Speckled Bird (1902). EVANS, Christmas (1766-1838). A Welsh Baptist preacher. He was born at Isgaerwen, Cardiganshire, on December 25, 1766. He was brought up among Presbyterians, but became a Baptist in 1788, and was ordained as a mission- ary among the Baptists in Carnarvonshire, 1789. In 1792 he removed to Anglesey, and till 1826 lived there, and virtually exercised episcopal functions over his brethren. His arbitrary and dictatorial conduct was offensive, and compelled his removal to Glamorganshire in 1820. In 1828 he went, to Cardiff, and in 1832 to Carnarvon, lie was familiar to all Welshmen by reason of his debt-raising journeys over the principality, and famous for his eloquence. He had the sight of only one eye. He died at Swansea, July 19, 1838. For his biography, consult Hood (New York. 1901). EVANS, Frederick Witxiam (1808-93). An American reformer. He was born in England, but came to the United States in 1820: was ap- prenticed in a hatter, and, in the intervals of his work, studied the writings of Owen, Fourier, and other aocial reformers, and became a thorough- going Socialist. After visiting the Shakers at Mount Lebanon, N. Y., he determined to join them, ami soon became an elder and a recognized leader. By his teachings he modified the doc- trines of the sect. Among his writings are; Autobiography of a Shaker (1809); Religioui
