This book deals with the death of James Sharp. He was a Resolutioner (i.e. backslidden Covenanter) turned persecuting Prelate, who after becoming Archbishop of St. Andrews began a relentless persecution of his former colleagues.

He helped to revive the notorious Court of High Commission in 1664, with himself as president. This court persecuted nonconformist protestants, over religious issues, and was especially fond of doing the Royalist beast's bidding in regards to Presbyterian ministers (who dissented from both the civil and ecclesiastical Episcopalian establishment). This court had absolute power and could and did hand out death sentences (adapted from the Dictionary of Scottish Church History, p. 768).

"This article refers to the killing of Arch-bishop James Sharpe, in 1779, by a handful of Covenanters who providentially crossed paths with the bloody bishop -- the architect of the slaughter of thousands of innocents. In the words of a contemporary, Alexander Shields, 'Upon the 3d of May, 1679, several worthy gentlemen, with some other men of courage and zeal for the cause of God and the good of the country, executed righteous judgement upon him in Magus Moor near St Andrews'" (Editor's note in the Original Covenanter and Contending Witness magazine, vol. 2, #16, August 5, 1994).

For a more detailed defense of the Protestant doctrine expounded in this short introductory book, see Shields' massive tome, A Hind Let Loose; specifically part 3, head 6: "The Suffering of Some, upon the Account of Extraordinary executing of Judgement upon Notorious Incendiaries, and Murdering Public Enemies by Private Persons in the Circumstances Wherein they were Stated Vindicated."