Christopher Love (1618–1651) was a Presbyterian minister born in Cardiff, Wales. He was a man of fervent piety, eloquent and popular as a preacher, and respected and beloved for his excellent Christian character. He is the author of various works on practical divinity.
He attended Oxford University and became domestic chaplain to John Warner, the sheriff of London. Love was called to St. Ann’s Aldersgate, but the bishop of London refused him an allowance for three years. Declining Episcopal ordination, he went to Scotland to seek ordination there, but the Church of Scotland would only ordain residents of Scotland. When the Canons of 1640 were introduced, Love was one of the first Puritans to renounce them. In 1641 he was called to preach at Newcastle, where he was arrested for preaching against the Book of Common Prayer. He was tried and acquitted on that, and again tried and acquitted two more times. He finally received a Presbyterian ordination in 1644 in London from Thomas Horton and became pastor at St. Lawrence Jewry.
Love became involved in a plot to restore Charles II as king of England. He was arrested with other prominent Presbyterians for high treason. Christopher Love was executed in London on August 23rd of 1651. He was buried at St. Lawrence Church, and Thomas Manton preached his funeral sermon.
