LOVE, CHRISTOPHER (1618 - 1651), Presbyterian minister

Born at Cardiff, the youngest son of Christopher Love. He attributed his conversion to the agency of William Erbery. His father was opposed to his religious convictions, so his mother and Erbery paid for his education. He studied at New Inn Hall, Oxford, and graduated B.A. 2 May 1639, and M.A. 26 June 1642.

His remaining years he spent outside Wales. He favoured an ultra-Presbyterian point of view. First, he was family chaplain to sheriff Warner in London; then he became lecturer at S. Ann's, Aldersgate. He tried unsuccessfully to get Presbyterian ordination in Scotland. He returned to England in 1641, and was imprisoned at Newcastle for attacking the Book of Common Prayer. After being removed to London he was tried at the King's Bench and found innocent. In the Civil War he was chaplain to Venn's regiment. He preached before Parliament, 25 November 1645. In 1647 he was minister of S. Ann's, Aldersgate, and later at S. Lawrence Jewry. From 1648 he was minister of S. Bartholomew's, Exchange.

Arrested on 14 May 1651 he was accused of treason against the Commonwealth, by corresponding with the exiled Charles Stuart. The trial ended 5 July and he was condemned to death. The execution took place on Tower Hill, 22 August 1651, and he was buried in the church of S. Lawrence.

Author

• Reverend Principal Robert Tudur Jones, (1921 - 1998)

Sources

• Christopher Love, A Cleare and Necessary Vindication (1651), 1651
• id., A true and exact copie of Mr. Love's speech and prayer, immediately before his death, on the scaffold at Towerhill, Aug. 22, 1651 (London 1651), 1651
• W. A. Shaw, A history of the English church during the civil wars and under the commonwealth 1640-1660 (1900), 1900

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Christopher Love

Additional Links

• VIAF: 54493968
• Wikidata: Q2476024

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/