William Martyn, who published Brownrig’s Fourty Sermons, commented in his
foreword: ‘the World may know that pious, Practical Preaching and Prelatical
Dignity are not inconsistent’.
5
Brownrig was consecrated bishop of Exeter in Westminster in 1642. He did not go to
Exeter but remained at Cambridge where he was vice-chancellor. In 1645 he was
arrested and imprisoned for preaching before the university on the anniversary of the
king’s coronation. He was eventually released upon payment of a fine of £5,000 and
was deprived of his college and university posts. The next year he lost his income as
bishop when Parliament abolished the post of bishop (and other ecclesiastical posts)
in favour of presbyterian church government.
Brownrig continued to carry out his spiritual duties as far as possible, including
ordinations, particularly that of Edward Stillingfleet, who later became bishop of
Worcester. As he had lost most of his income, he stayed at the home of various
friends (always contributing to his keep), often with Thomas Rich, a merchant, who
had houses at Sonning in Berkshire and at Wimbledon. At this time Hacket, who had
been deprived of his main benefice of St Andrew’s, Holborn, was living quietly at his
remaining living of Cheam, just five miles away from Wimbledon.
Plume graduated BA from Christ’s College, Cambridge in 1649/50. On 1 January
1650/1
he began a new notebook,
6
and I have surmised elsewhere
7
that as, towards
the end of this notebook, he writes ‘Finis Nonsuch September 20 1656’,
8
during some
of those five years he was living within a mile of Hacket. The notebook contains
many anecdotes of Hacket and his circle, including the one mentioning Brownrig
referred to above. Furthermore, the book contains Plume’s notes on twenty books
which portray a churchmanship very similar to that embraced by Hacket. I have
concluded, therefore, that for part of these five years, Plume followed an informal
course of study under Hacket.
9
Plume received episcopal ordination during or before
1658,
when he was inducted into the living of Greenwich.
I have speculated elsewhere
10
that he might have been
ordained by Brian Duppa, bishop of Salisbury
(1558-1662),
whose portrait is also in the Plume Library,
as he was then living at Richmond, only seven miles
from Cheam. This speculation was based on the
knowledge that Duppa, like Brownrig, continued to
exercise the bishop’s function of ordination during the
republic. There is, however, no known connection
between Plume and Duppa, apart from the placing of his portrait in the Plume Library.
However, as we have seen, there are strong connections between Hacket, Plume’s
mentor, and Brownrig, which were highlighted when it became known that his
portrait is also in the Plume Library. It must be concluded, therefore, that, whilst
there is still no conclusive evidence that Brownrig ordained Plume, he is a better
candidate for it than Duppa.
I now turn to the question of the provenance of the portrait; but this is, if anything,
even more speculative than the question of ordination. Mrs Wylie’s attention was
drawn by the National Portrait Gallery to the previous existence of another copy of
Brownrig’s portrait than the ones in the Plume Library and Pembroke College.
11
John
Evelyn (1620-1706) recorded having seen Brownrig’s portrait in Clarendon House