in the ancient Greek church, an officer of great dignity, who had the care of everything relating to faith, in the quality of censor. His office answered very nearly to that of master of the sacred palace at Rome.

EPITAPH, denotes the same with a missive letter; but is now chiefly used in speaking of ancient writings, as the epistles of St Paul, epistles of Cicero, epistles of Pliny, &c.

EPITAPHS and Gospels, in the liturgy of the church of England, are select portions of scripture, taken out of the writings of the evangelists and apostles, and appointed to be read, in the communion service, on Sundays and holidays. They are thought to have been selected by St Jerome, and by him put into the lectionary. It is certain they were very anciently appropriated to the days wherein we now read them, since they are not only of general use throughout the western church, but are also commented upon in the homilies of several ancient fathers, which are said to have been preached upon those very days to which these portions of scripture are now affixed.

The epistles and gospels are placed in an admirable order and method, and bear a special relation to the several days whereon they are read. The year is distinguished into two parts; the first being designed to commemorate Christ's living among us, the other to instruct us to live after his example. The former takes in the whole time from Advent to Trinity-Sunday; the latter, all the Sundays from Trinity to Advent. During the first of these seasons, the epistles and gospels are calculated to raise in us a grateful sense of what our Saviour did and suffered for us, and set before our eyes his nativity, circumcision, and manifestation to the Gentiles; his doctrines and miracles; his baptism, fasting, and temptation; his agony and bloody sweat; his cross and passion; his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension; and his mission of the Holy Ghost. During the second season of the year, the epistles and gospels tend to instruct us in the true paths of Christianity. See Collects.