a. and sb. Forms: 5–6 evangelik(e, -yke, 6–8 -ick(e, 7 -ique, 7– evangelic. [ad. late L. ēvangelic-us, a. Eccl. Gr. εὐαγγελικός, f. εὐαγγέλιον: see EVANGELY.]
A. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to the Gospel.
a. Of or pertaining to the Gospel narrative, or to the Four Gospels.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, xv. (1596), 332–3. And that this doctrin is true and catholicke, the letter of the Euangelicke text prooueth.
a. 1711. Ken, Hymns Festiv., Poet Wks. 1721, I. 393. His Evangelick Volume to compleat.
a. 1806. S. Horsley, Serm. (1811), 313. The evangelic maxim, that ‘no man can serve two masters.’
1858. Sears, Athan., II. x. 233. So we understand the Evangelic narratives.
1885. Salmon, Introd. N. T., viii. 131, note. It is an arrangement of the Evangelic text in the form of a harmony.
b. Of or pertaining to the faith or precepts of the Gospel, or to the Christian religion; pertaining to, or characteristic of, the Gospel dispensation.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), III. ii. 143. Those ye whiche haue auowed pouerte euangelyke.
1545. Joye, Exp. Dan., ii. In the tother parte (as it were with an euangelik sermone) he calleth them all and vs to the knowlege of cryste.
1569. J. Sanford, trans. Agrippa’s Van. Artes, 68 b. Farre from the Euangelicke doctrine and holy Canons.
1653. Milton, Hirelings (1659), 148. In the first evangelic times.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 155. That primitive evangelic poverty.
1806. A. Knox, Rem., I. 12. His [Boethius’] book, ‘De Consolatione Philosophiæ,’ is Platonic, not evangelic.
1845. R. W. Hamilton, Pop. Educ., iv. (ed. 2), 64. Let the younger scholar be taught … the grounds and motives of evangelic obedience.
1866. J. Martineau, Ess., I. 412. A Hebrew ode was made to yield evangelic dogma.
c. Evangelic Prophet: see EVANGELICAL 1 c.
1683. E. Hooker, Pref. Ep. Pordage’s Mystic Div., 14. Peruse that Vers of the Evangelic Prophet, if this iniquitie be purged from you [etc.].
† d. In uncertain sense; perh. ‘pious.’ Obs.
1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, I. 1. How þat olde euangelik men, and feble in kynde, myȝte be restorid, and haue aȝen her firste strenkþis of ȝongþe. Ibid., II. 15. To reduce an oold feble euangelik man to þe firste strenkþe of ȝongþe.
2. As the designation of a sect or party. (Now usually EVANGELICAL.)
a. = EVANGELICAL 2 a.
1583. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., I. 33 b. The Euangelike Churches both of hygh and lowe Germanie.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Idea, Wks. 220. Two eminent religions … the Roman, and that which is protestant or evangelick.
1758. Hist. Europe, in Ann. Reg., 50/2. They had rather a contrary effect in rousing the whole evangelic body to a sense of their own danger.
1792. Burke, Lett. to Sir H. Langrishe, Wks. VI. 318. When the three religions were established in Germany, they were … declared to be Evangelick, the Reformed and the Catholick.
b. = EVANGELICAL 2 b.
1812. J. Jebb, Corr. (1834), II. 197. A far nearer approach to the genius of a hierarchy than we can at all discern in our evangelic churchmen.
1814. Scott, Wav., II. vii. 129. I have never been able to discover which he belonged to, the evangelic, or the moderate party in the kirk.
1850. P. Crook, War of Hats, 24. Why not excite petitions to proscribe The chapels of the evangelic tribe?
1874. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. lxxxv. Introd. The purely evangelic annotators [in contrast with the sceptical].
B. sb.
† 1. The adj. used absol.: see A. 1 c. Obs.
a. 1617. S. Hieron, Aaron’s Bells (1623), 11. Jerome sticks not to call hem [Esay] an Evangelicke.
† 2. A Protestant; = EVANGELICAL B. 1. Obs.
1616. N. Brent, trans. Sarpi’s Counc. Trent (1676), 387. The Protestants did increase in Germany, and the Evangeliques did multiply amongst the Suisses.
1660. Blome, Fanat. Hist., i. 5. They [the Anabaptists] … troubled the Evangeliques more than the papists.
1688. True Spirit of Popery, 6. He made a Gaol of his own House, such was his inveterate Malice against the Evangelics.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. i. 41. Now did both the Evangelics and the Papalins bestir themselves for their Parties.
1758. Jortin, Erasm., I. 442. I abhor the Evangelics.
† 3. A member of the Evangelical party, Obs.; = EVANGELICAL B. 2.
1812. A. Knox, in J. Jebb’s Corr. (1834), II. 100. A good evangelic, mild and pious, rooted in the ways of worthy Wilberforce.
