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Bible Encyclopedias
Digamists
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or a term anciently used to designate persons twice married after baptism though legally and successively to two wives, one after the death of the other. The Montanists condemned all second marriages as unlawful; but, although this opinion did not prevail generally, it was the common practice to refuse ordination to men who had been twice married. Tertullian (De Monogam. chapter 11) condemned second marriages even in laymen; and Ambrose, Jerome, Epiphanius, and others assumed that the injunction of the apostle 1 Timothy 3:2, in which he directs that a bishop must be the husband of one wife, forbade an ecclesiastic to marry twice. Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others gave a contrary opinion, and interpreted the apostle's language of polygamists, or such as were married to many wives at the same time, and such as had causelessly put away their wives, and married others after divorcing the former. Numerous instances have been adduced to prove that second marriages were not an impediment to ordination, e.g. Tertullian (De Monogam. 12) admits that there were bishops who had been twice married. — Bingham, Org. Ecclesiastes book 4, chapter 5, § 1-4.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Digamists'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/d/digamists.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
