the history of the life, actions, death, resurrection, ascension, and doctrine of Jesus Christ.—The word is Saxon, and of the same import with the Latin term evangelium, which signifies "glad tidings," or "good news."

This history is contained in the writings of St Matthew, St Mark, St Luke, and St John; who from thence are called evangelists. The Christian church never acknowledged any more than these four gospels as canonical; notwithstanding which, several apocryphal gospels are handed down to us, and others are entirely lost.