Theophilus Higgons (c.1578–1659) was an English

Anglican divine Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

and convert to (and from)

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Life

The son of Robert Higgons, he was born at Chilton, near

Brill, Buckinghamshire Brill is a village and civil parish in west Buckinghamshire, England, close to the border with Oxfordshire. It is about north-west of Long Crendon and south-east of Bicester. At the 2011 Census, the population of the civil parish was 1,141. B ...

, and was educated partly in the free school at

Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of the city of Oxford and southwest of Aylesbury. It derives its name from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town and forms part of the county border wi ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

. In November 1592 he became a student of

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

, at the age of 14. He proceeded B.A. 20 October 1597, and M.A. 4 June 1600. Higgons was inclined to

Puritanism The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...

, and while censor at Christ Church he sawed down the

maypole A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on 1 May or Pentecost (Whitsun), although in some countries it is instead erected at ...

. On the promotion of

Thomas Ravis Thomas Ravis (c. 1560 – 14 December 1609) was a Church of England bishop and academic. He was among those engaged in translating the King James Bible. Early life Ravis was born at Old Malden in Surrey, probably in 1560, and educated at West ...

, Dean of Christ Church, as

Bishop of Gloucester The Bishop of Gloucester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire. The see's centre of governan ...

(17 March 1605), Higgons became his domestic chaplain, continuing with him till Ravis' translation to London (2 June 1607), when he became lecturer at St Dunstan Fleet Street, and was popular as preacher. After he had been established at St Dunstan for some time, Higgons married. He did so practically in secret, and his congregation disliked what he had done. He therefore left his wife and went into the North of England. Higgons became discontented; and was converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

, probably by John Floyd. He went to France and spent two years at

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, D ...

and the

College of St. Omer A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

, where his father went to try to bring him to Protestantism. He took the pseudonym Thomas Forster. He went on to

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

, where he lived for some time; but he found no preferment as a Catholic. Higgons was reconverted to Protestantism by Thomas Morton, who had replied to one of his books. He then became rector of

Hunton, Kent Hunton is a civil parish and village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. Toponomy The village's first recorded name was ''Huntindone'' in the eleventh century. Its name comes from Old English ''hunta'' 'huntsman' and ''dun'' 'hill' - ' ...

, near

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...

. During the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...

his living was sequestered, and he was taken into the house of a Daniel Collins of Maidstone. He died there in 1659 and was buried in Maidstone churchyard.

Works

* ‘A Scholastical Examination of Man's Iniquity and God's Justice,’ 1608. * ‘Apology, refuting Sir E. Hoby's Letter,’ &c., Rouen, 1609. * ‘The First Motive to suspect the Integrity of his Religion, with an Appendix against Dr. Field, Dr. Humfrey, &c.,’ 1609. Under his Catholic

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

of Thomas Forster. * ‘Sermon at St. Paul's Cross,’ 1610. * ‘Reasons proving the lawfulness of the Oath of Allegiance,’ 1611. * ‘Sermon on Ephesians ii. 4–7,’ London, 1611. * ‘Mystical Babylon, or a Treatise on Apoc. xxiii. 2,’ London, 1624. * ‘A Miscellany of divers remarkable Passages and Practices of Master Freeman, by T. H., rector of Hunton,’ 1655 (appended to Robert Boreman's ''Mirrour of Mercy and Judgment'').

References

;Attribution 16th-century English clergy 17th-century Roman Catholics 1570s births 1659 deaths Anglican priest converts to Roman Catholicism 17th-century English Anglican priests Converts to Anglicanism from Roman Catholicism People from Buckinghamshire {{england-reli-bio-stub