Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Timothy 4:3

3 Forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from meats , which God hath created, to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe, and know the truth h.

The Greek is hindring to marry, but that might be by forbidding it by a Law under a severe penalty; there are great disputes whom the Apostle speaketh of, to find out which, it is considerable. 1. That the Apostle speaketh of a time that was then to come. 2. Of some who had it in their power to hinder it; which will make the Prophecy hardly applicable to any but the Romish Synagogue, to be sure, not so applicable; for though there were some persons before them that condemned marriages, yet as they were but a small inconsiderable party, so they were persons that h[illegible: 1 letter]d no power to hinder Marriage by any penal Laws, nor any that did it in such Hypocrisie under a pretence of piety, when he who runs may read that they do it to maintain the grandeur of their Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. How applicable therefore soever [illegible: 1 letter]his might be to the Ebionites, and those that followed Saturninus and Marcion, and the Encratitae (which the Papists contend for) it certainly more nearly concerns the Papists themselves, who more universally forbad them to their Clergy, and were the first that had a power to hinder them, and fell into much later times than any of the others.

To abstain from some Meats, and this also they should teach in Hypocrisie; i. e. under a pretence of piety. This every whit as well agrees to the Romish Synagogue, as the other, whose prohibitions of flesh are sufficiently known; Mr. Mede is very confident that the Holy Ghost doth here describe the Popish Monks, and those that gave Rules to those orders.

Which meats as well as other God hath created for the use of man, giving him a liberty to kill and eat, only we ought to receive them with thanksgiving, which confirmeth our religious custom both of begging a blessing upon our meat before we eat, and returning thanks to God when we have eaten, for which also we have our Saviours Example, Matth. 14.19. and 15.36.

Not that such as believe not, and are ignorant of the truth may not eat, but they have not so good and comfortable a right to the Creatures as Believers, Titus 1.15. and they know and understand their Liberty to eat of those things which others deprive themselves of, by their superstitious opinions and constitutions.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 3.2. & [illegible: 1 span].; [illegible: 1 word] 14.6. 1 Cor. 10.30.