Christopher Love
Christopher Love – Life, Ministry, and Legacy of a Welsh Puritan Preacher
Explore the life, convictions, and legacy of Christopher Love (1618–1651), the Welsh Puritan preacher executed for plotting to restore Charles II. Discover his theology, writings, martyrdom, and influence on Presbyterianism.
Introduction: Who Was Christopher Love?
Christopher Love (1618 – August 22, 1651) was a Welsh Puritan minister, Presbyterian preacher, and political dissenter during the English Civil War and Interregnum.
Though not primarily known as an educator in the conventional sense, Love’s sermons, writings, and pastoral ministry played an instructive role for his contemporaries and subsequent generations in Reformed theology and Presbyterian practice. His life is marked by theological commitment, political engagement, and ultimately martyrdom.
In what follows, we trace his origins, ministry, theological convictions, political entanglements, execution, writings, and the lessons and legacy he left behind.
Early Life and Conversion
Family Background & Youth in Wales
Christopher Love was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1618.
As a youth, Love was influenced by Puritan preaching. At around age 14, he attended sermons by William Erbury, vicar of St. Mary’s, Cardiff, which had profound spiritual effect on him. According to accounts, he was so moved by his sinfulness and the state of his soul that his conscience was deeply burdened.
His father opposed his religious interests; reportedly, when his father locked him in a room to prevent him from attending church, Love escaped by tying a cord to a window and descending to attend worship.
With support from his mother and Erbury, Love was admitted to New Inn Hall, Oxford in 1635. He earned a B.A. in 1639 and later an M.A. in 1642.
During his student years, Love rejected the Canons of 1640 instituted by Archbishop Laud, becoming one of the early Puritans to refuse conformity to Laudian reforms.
Ministry and Public Life
Chaplaincy & Early Preaching
After Oxford, Love moved to London, where he became domestic chaplain to John Warner, the sheriff of London. Through this role, he met Mary Stone (Warner’s ward), whom he later married.
He was invited to serve as a lecturer at St. Anne’s, Aldersgate, but for three years received no stipend because the Bishop of London (William Juxon) withheld allowance — likely under pressure from Laud’s regime.
Love declined the traditional episcopal ordination route and traveled to Scotland hoping for Presbyterian ordination. However, the Scottish Church required residency, which Love could not satisfy.
Around 1641, Love returned to England and preached in Newcastle, where his criticism of the Book of Common Prayer led to his imprisonment. He was later tried at the King’s Bench and acquitted.
Civil War & Pastoral Roles
With the outbreak of the First English Civil War, Love became chaplain to Colonel John Venn’s regiment and also preached to the garrison at Windsor Castle.
On 23 January 1644, Love was ordained in Presbyterian fashion by Thomas Horton in Aldermanbury, London. He then took up the pastorate at St. Lawrence Jewry.
Over time, he also ministered in St. Bartholomew’s Exchange (from 1648).
He was known for bold preaching. On 31 January 1645, during the Treaty of Uxbridge negotiations, he delivered a sermon that offended parliamentary commissioners, leading to his detention.
In 1645, he preached before the House of Commons (25 November), but did not receive the customary vote of thanks—indicating tension between his Presbyterian leanings and rising Independent influence.
As political shifts occurred, Love’s influence made him increasingly watched, especially as the Independents gained power.
Political Engagement & Conspiracy
From around 1649, Love became involved in royalist-Presbyterian plotting aimed at restoring Charles II to the throne in collaboration with Scottish Presbyterians.
Plots included delivering letters via Colonel Silius Titus to the exiled monarch and funding support for arms. Some of these letters passed through Love’s home.
On 7 May 1651, Love and others were arrested. Official arrest order came 14 May. He was confined to the Tower of London and tried in early July 1651 before the High Court of Justice, defended by Matthew Hale, and presided over by Richard Keble.
He was convicted of high treason on 5 July 1651. Initially sentenced to death, his execution was postponed twice (one month reprieve, then a week), perhaps in response to petitions and public sympathy.
Some argued for leniency to heal the divide between Presbyterians and the Commonwealth; others insisted a public example was needed. Ultimately his reprieve was denied.
On 22 August 1651, Christopher Love was beheaded at Tower Hill.
He was privately buried at St. Lawrence Church, and Thomas Manton preached his funeral sermon.
Theology, Writings & Influence
Theological Convictions
Love was a fervent Presbyterian, emphasizing covenant theology, electing grace, and church polity under elders.
He strongly opposed the hierarchical Episcopal structures favored by Laud, refusing to conform to the Laudian canons.
He preached that defensive war against tyranny was lawful, a stance he expressed during the Civil War.
He also addressed themes such as grace, election, mortification of sin, and man’s spiritual state.
Some claimed he had connections to the Westminster Assembly—though more careful scholarship questions whether he was formally admitted as a member.
Key Works & Publication
After his execution, many of Love’s sermons and treatises were published by his associates (e.g. Edmund Calamy, Simeon Ashe).
Some of his significant works include:
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Grace, the Truth and Growth, and Different Degrees Thereof (1652)
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Heaven’s Glory, Hell’s Terror (1653)
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Combate Between the Flesh and the Spirit (1654)
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Treatise of Effectual Calling (1658)
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The Natural Man’s Case Stated (1658)
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Select Works (Glasgow edition, early 19th c.)
His treatises and sermons remain of interest in Reformed and Puritan studies.
Legacy & Impact
Christopher Love became a martyr in the eyes of many Presbyterians. His execution was seen as a powerful symbol of resistance to religious and political compromise.
His writings, though produced in turbulent times, provided theological resources for later Puritan and Presbyterian thinkers.
Over time, some commentators attributed prophetic significance to his life—pointing to storms, calamities, or later political events as signs connected to his martyrdom. (Such claims reflect later legend more than strict fact.)
In Welsh ecclesiastical history, he is one of the notable figures representing early Welsh involvement in the Puritan and Reformed movements beyond Wales.
His widow, Mary Love (née Stone), also contributed to preserving his writings and memory. She later remarried Edward Bradshaw, and was involved in publishing his sermons, letters, and pleas.
Lessons from Christopher Love’s Life
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Integrity over convenience
He refused conformity to ecclesiastical authority despite personal risk, showing how convictions can demand sacrifice. -
The preacher’s responsibility to state truth
Love’s bold preaching—even before Parliament—demonstrated a commitment to voice what he believed was right, regardless of audience or favor. -
Interconnection of theology and politics
In his era, doctrinal convictions and political allegiance were tightly linked; Love illustrates how religious leaders sometimes became political actors. -
Endurance under persecution
His life shows how those in turbulent times may suffer for their beliefs—but can also inspire others through consistency and courage. -
Legacy transcends lifespan
Though his life was cut short at 33, his writings and martyrdom continued to influence Reformed thought well beyond his generation.
Conclusion
Christopher Love stands in the tradition of Welsh men and women who engaged deeply with the theological and political upheavals of 17th-century Britain. Though he did not survive to see the Restoration, his death was emblematic of the tensions between monarchy, parliament, religious structures, and conscience in that era.
His sermons, theological works, and stance as a Presbyterian martyr make him a compelling figure for those interested in Puritan theology, church history, and the dynamics of faith under political constraint.