Now arch. or rhetorical. Forms: α. 4 evangil, 5 evangille, -ylle, 6 ewangyle, 4–7, 9 (rare) evangile. β. 4 aphet. vangel (þe vangel for þ’evangel), 5 ewangel, 6–7 evangell, 5–7, 9 evangele, 4– evangel. [ME. evangile, a. OF. evangi(l)le (mod.F. évangile), corresp. to Pr. evangeli, Sp., Pg. evangelio, It. evangelio, evangelo (aphet, vangelio, vangelo), repr. Eccl. Lat. ēvangelium: see EVANGELY. The β forms are due to the influence of the Lat. spelling.
In England the word was in 17th c. already archaic and purely literary, but in Scotland it remained in current use, as a synonym for gospel, until a still later period. At the present time it is chiefly used in transferred sense, or with allusion to the etymological meaning ‘good news.’ The prevailing form now is evangel; but a few writers of the present century have preferred evangele, evangile, either to distinguish the word from EVANGEL2, or merely for archaistic effect.]
I. In various senses of GOSPEL.
1. The ‘good news’ of redemption to the world through Jesus Christ; the religious teaching contained in the New Testament; the Christian religion.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter cxviii. 72. Laghe of godis mouth is þe vangel.
c. 1399. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 10. Crist bad him self, how that we schulden preche, And to the folk his evangile teche.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. vii. 224. Nowcht be þe Lauche of þe Ewangyle.
1558. Knox, First Blast (Arb.), 31. And worthy is thy sonne Christ Iesus, to haue his Euangil and glorie aduanced.
1578. Godly & Spirituall Songs (1801), 183. Priests, take ȝour staffe And preich the euangell on ȝour feit.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. iii. (1851), 158. The heavenly ministery of the Evangel.
a. 1653. Gouge, Comm. Hebr. xiii. 9 (1655), 90. An Evangile (as the Scots according to the Greek notation, term it), that is, good or glad tidings.
1820. Scott, Abbot, ii. That worthy man … teacheth the Evangel in truth and sincerity. Ibid., xxii. Your ears … deceived you when they were closed against the preachers of the evangele.
1834. H. Miller, Scenes & Leg., viii. (1857), 107. All the other ministers of the Evangel.
1855. R. Williams, Rational Godl., xiv. 207. The spirit of the Evangile.
1884. Congregationalist, June, 459. The gospel is the evangel.
b. The ‘Gospel dispensation.’
1560. Conf. Faith Kirk Scotl. (1811). As the fatheris vnder the law … Sa … we now, in the tyme of the Euangell, haue twa cheif Sacramentis.
2. a. The record of Christ’s life as contained in the Four Gospels.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 34. How that this vice is for to drede In thevangile it telleth pleine.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 436/1. That our lord hath sayd in the holy euangylle.
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 35. Christ in the evangil … confermis the same promis.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 76 b. Ye testimonies baith of ye Euangell and of ye Apostle S. Paul ar verray plane.
1858. J. Martineau, Studies Chr., 273. The ground work … of the triple Evangile.
b. One of the ‘Four Gospels.’
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xv. 67. He made þe Ewangels, in þe whilk es helefull teching and sothefastnes.
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 25. The wordis writtin in S. Mathewis evangel.
a. 1631. Donne, Lett. to Sir G. Moore, Wks. (ed. Alford), VI. xcvi. 414. The Evangiles and Acts, teach us what to believe, but the Epistles of the Apostles what to do.
1678. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, III. 60. Lukes Greek both in this his Evangel, as also in the Acts of the Apostles, is most pure, elegant, and significant.
1828. Lamb, in Life & Lett., xvi. 153. The Quakers are the only professors of Christianity as I read it in the Evangiles.
1866. Neale, Sequences & Hymns, 39. Those infrangible Evangels, welded by the Holy Ghost.
3. pl. Copies of the Gospels; a book containing them, used to impart sanctity to an oath. Rare in sing.; attrib. in evangel-book.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 568. A Briton book, written with Euaungiles Was fet, and on this book he swoor anoon.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., III. viii. 184. He is bounde unto hym by othe upon the holy euangilles.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 28. And swoir also vpoun the evangell buik.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Sc. Act. Robt. II., 51. The Earle of Carrik … made his aith the halie Eu-angellis being tuiched be him.
1886. R. F. Burton, Arab. Nts. (abridged), I. 233. I conjured him by the Evangel to alight at my house.
4. transf. † a. Something ‘as true as gospel.’
1613. R. C., Table Alph. (ed. 3), Euangell, true expounding.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 145–6. The Attaint vpon a false Verdict betweene Partie and Partie, which before was a kind of Euangile, irremediable.
1639. Drumm. of Hawth., Consid. to Parl., Wks. 186. That the covenant be … esteem’d in all times coming, the first evangel.
1681. Colvil, Whigs Supplic. (1751), 136. That … Merline’s prophesies [are] evangels.
b. A doctrine or principle (pertaining e.g. to politics, social reform, or morals) to which ‘saving’ efficacy is attributed. Sometimes with some notion of the etymological sense ‘good news.’
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res. (1858), 109. La carrière ouverte aux talens (The Tools to him that can handle them), which is our ultimate Political Evangel.
1865. Sat. Rev., XIX. 622/2. The law of trust is to be henceforth applied under the inspiration of this new evangele.
1879. Contemp. Rev., XXXVI. 290. I do not announce a new and perfect evangel to be ushered in by loud flourish of trumpets.
II. 5. In etymological sense: A message of glad tidings. Also (nonce-use), a song of joyful promise.
1842. Longf., Slave Singing at Midn., vi. What holy angel Brings the slave this glad evangel?
1844. Mrs. Browning, Drama of Exile, Poems I. 14. Our requiems follow fast on our evangels.
