Fides Catholica, or, The doctrine of the Catholick Church in eighteen grand ordinances referring to the Word, sacraments and prayer, in purity, number and nature, catholically maintained, and publickly taught against hereticks of all sorts : with the solutions of many proper and profitable questions sutable to to [sic] the nature of each ordinance treated of / by Wil. Annand ...

SECT. I.

This ordinance of preaching by which men are saved, if they keep it in memory, 1 Cor. 15.1, 2. may be thus described.

1. It is an opening, expounding or unfolding the meaning of the Holy Ghost in Scripture. 2. According to Scripture. 3. And applying it for the edification of the Church, or perfecting of the Saints.

1. It is an openning, expounding, &c. of the meaning of the holy Ghost in Scripture] That the Scripture is the mind or meaning of the Holy Ghost, is blasphemy once to be doubted, Heb. 3.7. Acts 1.16. 2 Pet. 1.21. and his expressions are sometimes so lofty, and at other times so dark, that the un∣derstanding of man is naturally ignorant of his purpose, yea when highest, not able throughly to apprehend his meaning. Man may read all day, & at night lye down upon the restless bed of uncertainty, not understanding the nature of the thing read.

Now preaching unfolds it, expounds and interprets it, gives the sence and meaning of the Spirit of God in it; by which the hearts of the Elect are turned from the world unto God, Acts 19.19. and made to burn towards God, Luke 29.27, 32. and go towards heaven with rejoycing, Acts 8.35, 39.

2. According to Scripture] There are those that will ex∣pound the Scripture by their own fancies, and make the Ho∣ly Ghost by an irreverent compulsion speak that which he ne∣ver thought, but what they would have others to believe; such were the Pharisees of old, Mat. 5. and such are our up∣start Preachers now, who assoon as they find some portion of Scripture that they can coulourably wrest for the defence of their own fancies, immediately cry to their Proselites, Rejoyce with us, for we have found, &c. and where any ap∣pears that is not so easie to be drawn by the wier of their brain, they can lay it aside, and flee to the Penthouse of the light within, but Scripture is the l••st Expounder of it self, for as it is the mind of the Spirit that is written, it is the tongue of the Spirit that must interpret, Isa. 8.20. The Scripture that is dark in one place, must be opened by the Scripture that is light in another place, otherwise it is not preaching but seducing, 2 Tim. 4.3.

3. Applying it for the edification of the Church] This is the great end of preaching, and the end of Gods sending Preachers into the world, Ephes. 4.12. and in this, this ordinance dif∣fers chiefly from that of Catechising. Paul having spoken much of the doctrine of faith, Heb. 11. makes application thereof, Hebrews 12. having treated of judgement, makes application thereof, 1 Thes. 5.14. When a Preacher hath opened the sence and meaning of the holy Ghost in a portion of Scripture, by Exhortation, Reprehension, Confutation, Consolation, he ought to set it home to the hearts of his hear∣ers, For the edifying of the body of Christ, Ephes. 4.12.