RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Evangelical Association Evangelization
but revival meetings held over the whole country and the wide preaching of the doctrines of the Union led to the formation of churches and this necessitated organization. A theological academywas instituted with James Morison as first professor, and John Guthrie was added as colleague in a few years; other professors were appointed later and the classes were comparatively large. The business of the Union was carried on by an Annual Conference and the committees it appointed.
The influence of the Union was far in excess of what might have been expected from its members. Ministers and laymen zealously expounded their views in opposition to the Calvinistic doctrines of the Westminster Confession, and numerous tracts, pamphlets, and books were issued from the publishing house and circulated widely. The Christian News (weekly) was started in 1846 and continued for sixty years. The Evangelical Repository (quarterly) was commenced in 1854 and continued for thirty-four years. A monthly Forward existed for seven years and the Day Star and Dew Drop had a large circulation for half a century. The members of the Union were among the pioneers of the temperance movement in Scotland. All of its clergy and ninety per cent of its members were total abstainers and no liquor dealer was allowed to join any of the churches. In 1896 the churches of the Union — more than ninety in number — united with the Congregational Union of Scotland, securing their historical position by a prefatory note placed at the head of the constitution of the united body which states, among other things, that they were moved and encouraged to seek union " in order to effective cooperation in extending the Kingdom of God and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through whose person and work as God Incarnate, and the saving and sanctifying grace of God, the Holy Spirit, God the Father in his love has made provision for, and is seeking the salvation of all men." A few small and unimportant churches still retain the name Evangelical Union. William Adamson.
2. For the German " Evangelical Union for the Preservation of German Protestant Interests," see Bund, Evangblischer.
Bibliography: F. Ferguson, Hist, of the Evangelical Union, Glasgow, 1876; Evangelical Union Jubilee, ib. 1892; J. Ross, Hist, of Congregational Independency in Scotland, ib. 1900.
EVANGELIST: A word which occurs three times in the New Testament (Acts xxi. 8; Eph. iv. 11; II Tim. iv. 5), not found in the Septuagint and other Greek versions, in the Apostolic Fathers, or in the Didache, and not in classical Greek use. It is from the same root as the words translated " Gospel " (Gk. euangelion) and " to preach " {euangelizomai) . In Eph. iv. 11 evangelists are enumerated along with apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers, but this does not mean that they were a distinct order of church officials. Deacons, presbyters, and apostles (Acts vih. 25; I Cor. i. 17; etc.), all might exercise evangelistic functions. Timothy, the bishop-presbyter, was exhorted to " do the work of an evangelist " (II Tim. iv. 5); and Philip, one of the seven deacons at Jerusalem, is IV.— 15
called an evangelist (Acts viii. 5, xxi. 8). The evangelists are to be regarded as itinerants, traveling from place to place. This was the case with Philip, who preached in Samaria, expounded the word to the eunuch on his way to Gaza, and then labored in Casarea and the cities round about (Acts viii. 40). They acted independently (Acts viii. 4), but largely as " fellow laborers " and assistants of the apostles, accompanying them on their journeys, and laboring under their direction. Theodoret (Ad Eph. iv. 11) was the first to restrict the term to itinerant preachers, and CEcumenius applied it for the first time strictly to the authors of the Gospels. The term is used at the present time in both these senses. In later liturgical language the name was given to the reader of the Gospel for the day.
Bibliography: O. Zbckler, Diakonen und 7 Evangelisten, Munich, 1893; T. Zahn, Missionsmethoden im Zeitalter der Apostel, Leipsic, 1886; J. Reville, Les Origines de I'episcopat, Paris, 1889; C. von Weizsacker, Apostolic Age, 2 vols., London, 1894-95; DB, i. 795-797.