XII. The canon absolutely excludes digamists
from the ministry. Ap.
Can. xiii. 14: “It is clear from the
Philosophumena of Hippolytus (ix. 12) that by the
beginning of the 3d century the rule of monogamy for the clergy was
well established, since he complains that in the days of Callistus
‘digamist and trigamist bishops, and priests and deacons,
began to be admitted into the clergy.’ Tertullian
recognises the rule as to the clergy. Thus in his De
Exhortatione Castitatis (c. 7) he asks scornfully;
‘Being a digamist, dost thou baptize? Dost thou make the
offering?’” Dict. C. A. i. 552.
Vide also Canon Bright,
Notes on the Canons of the first four General Councils. On
Can. Nic. viii. p. 27.