Epistle the first lesson in the communion service of the Church of England, deriving its name from the circumstance that it is generally taken from the apostolic epistles; though sometimes from the Acts, and occasionally from the Old-Test. writings. The form was derived from that of the Greek and Latin churches, where it was usually denominated the "Apostle." It has been in use in the English Church since the time of Augustine of Canterbury, a period of twelve hundred years. See Hook, Church Dict. s.v.; Staunton, Eccles. Dict. s.v.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More