1 Timothy 4:3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Forbidding to marry, &c.— VI. This is a farther character of the promoters of this apostacy: the same hypocritical liars, who would promote the worship of demons, would also prohibit lawful marriage. The monks were the first who brought a single life into repute: they were the first also who revived and promoted the worship of demons. One of the primary and most essential laws and constitutions of all monks is, the profession of a single life; and it is equally clear that the monks had the principal share in promoting the worship of the dead. The monks then were the principal promoters of the worship of the dead in former times; and who are the great patrons and advocates of the same worship now? Are not their legitimate successors and descendants, the monks, and priests, and bishops, of the church of Rome? And do not they also profess and recommend a single life, as well asthe worship of saints and angels? Thus have the worship of demons, and the prohibition of marriage, constantly gone hand in hand together; and as they who maintain the one, maintain the other, so it is no less remarkable, that they who disclaim the one, disclaim the other. VII. The last mark and character of these men is, commanding to abstain from meats, &c. The same lying hypocrites, who would promote the worship of demons; would not onlyprohibit lawful marriage, but likewiseimpose unnecessary abstinence from meats. And these two, as indeed it is fit they should, usually go together as constituent parts of the same hypocrisy. It is as much the law of all monks to abstain from meats, as from marriage. Some never eat any flesh; others only certain kinds on certain days. Frequent fasts are the rule and boast of their orders. So lived the monks of the ancient church; so live, with less strictness, perhaps, but with greater ostentation, the monks and friars of the church of Rome; and these have been the principal propagators and defenders of the worship of the dead, both in former and in latter times. The worship of thedead, is indeed so monstrously absurd, as well as impious, that there was hardly any probability of its ever prevailing in the world, but by hypocrisy and lies: but that these particular sorts of hypocrisy,—celibacy, under pretence of chastity,—and abstinence, under pretence of devotion,—should be employed for this purpose, the Spirit of God alone could foresee and foretell. There is no necessary connection between the worship of the dead, and forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats; and yet it is certain, that the great advocates of this worship have, by their pretended purity and mortification, procured the greater reverence to their persons, and the readier reception to their doctrines; but this idle, popish, monkish abstinence, is as unworthy of a Christian, as it is unnatural to a man; it is perverting the purpose of nature, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by believers, and them who know the truth. The apostle, therefore, approves and sanctifies the religious custom of blessing God at our meals; as our Saviour, when he was to distribute the loaves and the fishes, looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake it: and what can be said of those, who have their tables spread with the most plentiful gifts of God, and yet constantly sit down, and rise up again, without suffering so much as one thought of the Giver to intrude upon them? It is but a thought, it is but a glimpse of devotion; and can they, who refuse even that, be thought to believe or know the truth? Man is free to partake of all the good creatures of God; but thanksgiving is the necessary condition. See 1 Timothy 4:4-5. The apostle proceeds to say, that it is the duty of the ministers of the gospel to press and inculcate these things, 1 Timothy 4:6. But all that is preached up of such abstinence and mortification as above specified, with all the legends of the saints, were no better than profane and old wives' fables,—like Rabbinical dreams, and traditions. Godliness is the only thing which will truly avail us here and hereafter, 1 Timothy 4:7-8.