Theophilus Higgons

Son of Rob. Higgons, was born at Chilton near Brill in Bucks, educated partly in the Free [•] school at Thame in Oxfordshire, made Student of Ch. Ch. in 1592 aged 14 years or thereabouts, took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1600, he being then noted to be a young man of pregnant parts and a tolerable lat. Poet. During his residence in the said house, he was esteemed a Person to be much stained with Puritanisme, and to be violent against all such that were suspected to favour the Romish See. When he was Censor also, he was so zealous as to saw down a harmless maypole standing within the precincts of the said house, because forsooth he thought it came out of a Romish Forest. Upon the promotion of Dr. Ravis Dean of Ch. Ch. to the See of Glocester, he was honoured so far by him as to be taken into his service, and to be made his domestick Chaplain; with whom continuing till about the time he was translated to London, made sute to be Lecturer at S. Dunstans Ch. in Fleetstreet: Which desire of his being obtained he was much followed there by all sorts of People for his sweet and eloquent way of preaching. But so it was that many of his contributary auditors thought that his long prayers and spitting pauses were too short, because the reverend Bishops (yea his own Lord and Master) were ever left out for wranglers and Antichristian Hierarchies. After he had been setled for some time in that place, he married a Wife, but in such a clandestine manner, that his Father, Relations and many of his Admirers did much blame him for it. So that being sensible of the disrespect that followed, and neglect of many that loved him before, he left his Wife, and went into the north parts of England. From whence returning soon after to London, he published a small book in print flatly against the absurdities, which he afterwards strongly seemed to maintain. But all this availed nothing, for being a Person very ambitious, and finding not preferment sutable, as he thought, to his merits, did thereupon, and by a contraction of debts occasion’d by his marriage, fall into a deep discontent. Which being quickly perceived by some, especially by one called Fludde a Priest (the same I suppose with Joh. Floyd a Jesuit) a Person excellently learned, as well in Philosophy as Theology, was by his endeavours drawn over to the Church of Rome, and forthwith did write a little Pamphlet Of venial and mortal sin, flat, as ’tis said by some, against the principles of the Romish profession, but of this Pamphlet I can give no account because I have not yet seen it. Afterwards he ship’d himself for France, and being setled at S. Omers (to which place his Father went afterwards to fetch him home, but could not) he wrot,

His first motive to adhere to the Roman Church, &c. with an appendix against Dr. Laur. Humphrey, Dr. Ric. Field, and Dr. Tho. Morton, &c.—printed 1609. in oct. Which motive, as he saith, was drawn up chiefly upon the detection of some egregious falshoods in the said Humphreys perverting S. Austin, and Fields traducing S. Ambrose, and learned Protestants in their writings, touching the question of purgatory, and prayer for the dead. But this was otherwise made apparent by Sir Edward Hoby’s letter to him in answer to his motive; to which, if it may be seen, I refer the Reader. Afterwards he went to Roan, where he lived for some time; but finding not that which he expected, namely Respect, Preferment, and I know not what, was at length regained to the English Church by Dr. Tho. Morton Dean of Winchester (afterwards Bishop of Durham) who had answer’d one of his books, as I shall tell you anon.

A scholastical examination of Mans iniquity and Gods justice. Lond. 1608, written before he turned Papist.

Apologie refuting Sir Edw. Hoby’s Letter against his first motive. Roan 1609 in oct.

Sermon at S. Pauls Cross 3 March 1610, on Ephes. 2.4, 5, 6, 7. in testimony of his hearty re-union with the Church of England and humble submission thereunto. Lond. 1611. qu. This recantation Sermon he made upon his being regained by Dr. Morton.

Reasons proving the lawfulness of the oath of allegiance. Lond. 1611. qu.

Mystical Babell: or Papal Rome. A treatise on Apocalips 18.2. (in two Serm.) Lond. 1624. qu. After his regainment to the Ch. of England he was promoted to the rectory of Hunton near to Maidston in Kent, lived there till the Rebellion brake out, and afterwards being sequestred, as I have heard, lived in the house of one Dan. Collins of Maidston, 1659. where dying in sixteen hundred fifty and nine, a little before the Kings restauration, as the said Collins who was afterwards Jurat of Maidston told my friend, (for his name stands not in the register there) was buried in the Cemitery belonging to the Church of that place, near to the S. E. door of the Chancel, but hath no stone or mon. over his grave.