, a saint and martyr, and according to the Breviary, bishop of Sebasta
, a saint and martyr, and according to the Breviary, bishop of Sebasta in Cappadocia, deserves this slight
notice, as a person of great note among the vulgar, who in
their processions of the wool-trade, always carry an effigies
or representation of him, as the inventor or patron of their
art of combing it. There was an order of knighthood also
instituted in honour of him; and his day, which stands now
marked in our Calendar, was Feb. 3. He suffered death
in the reign of Dioclesian, about the year 283, according
to the Legenda Aurea, but the English version of that
book has the year 387, neither of which dates are strictly
true, since Dioclesian did not succeed to the empire till
the year 2Si, and died before the latter date. Before his
death, which was by beheading, he was whipped, and had
his flesh tornferreis pectinibiis, with iron combs and this
seems to be the only foundation for the respect paid to his
memory by wool-combers. Thus far the learned antiquary Dr. Pegge, in a letter on the history of St. Blase
but Butler, in his “Lives of the Saints,
” fixes his death in
the year
r notice of the cause of his death, he considers him, as the whole of his party did, in the light of a saint and martyr. The piety of his life, indeed, ereated a sympathy
He was next appointed one of the Assembly of Divines,
and minister of St. Lawrence Jury, and is said also to have
been chosen minister of St. Anne’s, Aldersgate-street. He
was one of the London ministers who signed a declaration
against the king’s death. He was afterwards engaged in a
plot, which cost him his life, and was known at the time by
the name of Love’s plot, either because he was a principal
agent, or a principal sufferer. Mr. Love, we have already
noticed, was a presbyterian, and when he found that the
independents were gaining the ascendancy, he united with
various gentlemen and ministers of his own way of thinking to assist the Scotch (before whom Charles II. had taken the covenant, and by whom he had been crowned,) in
their endeavours to advance that sovereign to the crown of
England. Cromwell, howev&r, was too watchful for the
success of such a design in London; and the chief conspirators being apprehended, Mr. Love and a Mr. Gibbons
were tried and executed, the rest escaping by interest, or
servile submission. Mr. Love appears on his trial to have
used every means to defeat its purpose, and was certainly
more tenacious of life, than might have been expected
from the boldness of his former professions. Great intercessions were made to the parliament for a pardon: his
wife presented one petition, and himself four; several
parishes also, and a great number of his brethren interceded with great fervour; but all that could be obtained
was the respite of a month. It is said that the affairs of
the commonwealth being now at a crisis, and Charles II.
having entered England with 16,000 Scots, it was thought
necessary to strike terror in the presbyterian party, by
making an example of one of their favourite ministers.
Some historians say that Cromwell, then in the north, sent
a letter of reprieve and pardon for Mr. Love, but that the
post-boy was stopped on the road by some persons belonging to the late king’s army, who opened the mail, and
finding this letter, tore it in pieces, exclaiming that “he
who had been so great a firebrand at Uxbridge, was not
fit to live.
” Whatever truth may be in this, he was executed, by beheading, on Tower-hill, Aug. 22, 1651. He
was accompanied at his death by the three eminent nonconformists, Simeon Ashe, Edmund Calamy, and Dr. Manton. The latter preached a funeral sermon for him, in
which, while he avoids any particular notice of the cause
of his death, he considers him, as the whole of his party
did, in the light of a saint and martyr. The piety of his
life, indeed, ereated a sympathy in his favour which did
no little harm to the power of Cromwell. Thousands began to see that the tyranny of the republic would equal all
they had been taught to hate in the mo larchv. The government, we are told, expressed some displeasure at Dr.
Manton’s intention of preaching a funeral sermon, and their
creatures among the soldiers threatened violence, but he
persisted in his resolution, and not only preached, but
printed the sermon. The loyalists, on the other hand,
considered Love’s death as an instance of retributive justice. Clarendon says that he “was guilty of as much treason as the pulpit could contain;
” and his biographers have
so weakly defended the violence of his conduct during the
early period of the rebellion, as to leave this fact almost
indisputable. His works consist of sermons and pious
tracts, on various subjects, mostly printed after his death,
and included in three volumes, 8vo. They were all accompanied by prefaces from his brethren, of high commendation.