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

Anglican divine Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

and convert to (and from)

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 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

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 ...

, and was educated partly in the free school at

Thame Thame is a market town and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, 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 ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

. In November 1592 he became a student of

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, 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 rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should ...

, 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 List of folk festivals, folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on May Day, 1 May or Pentecost (Whitsun), although in some co ...

. 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 Westmi ...

, Dean of Christ Church, as

Bishop of Gloucester The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester, England, Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Gloucestershire, County of Gloucestershire and part ...

(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 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

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

Douai Douai ( , , ; ; ; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe (rive ...

and the

College of St. Omer A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary school. ...

, 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 northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

, 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. Toponymy 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 east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...

. 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. An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point b ...

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 or nom-de-plume 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 name may be used to make the author's 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