And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
Ver. 15. Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd] And so represent in a type, or figure, the wicked and depraved government, that, for a just punishment of their frowardness and uuthankfulness, I shall set up among this people. "The instruments of a foolish shepherd," that is, of an oppressive and self-seeking magistrate, are not virga et pedum, a rod and a staff, but forcipes et mulctra, shears to clip them and a milk pail to drain them. Lac et lana Milk and fleece are all they look after. Now it is threatened as a heavy curse, Leviticus 26:17, They that hate you shall reign over you; mischievous, malignant princes, such as are described in the next verse. England was once called the Pope's ass, for bearing his burdens and impositions. An Emperor of Germany said, for the like reason, that the king of France was king of asses, rather than of men (Rex hominum Hispanus, asinorum Gallus, Regum ego, dixit Maximil.). King John of England's exactors received from his subjects no less sums of curses than of coin, saith our chronicler. He gathered money, the sinews of war; but lost their affections, the joints of peace. A taxation by the poll, first granted to Edward III, became a precedent to the next reign; and caused therein the first and greatest popular insurrection that ever was seen in this kingdom, saith another of our historians. And what sad effects poll money, ship money, coat and conduct money, and other oppressive practices have lately produced among us, is well known to all. But what a cruel shepherd was that prince mentioned by Melancthon, that when he wanted money would send for such and such a rich subject of his, and require of him what he pleased. If the man denied to bring it, he would knock out first one of his teeth, and then another, threatening to do the like by all the rest, in case the money were not brought in by such a time! Was not this one of those foolish, or rather furious shepherds in the next verse, who do eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces? that shall eat thy fruit, and drink thy milk, as another prophet phraseth it, Ezekiel 25:4. Fisco potius apud multos consulitur quam Christo; attonsioni potius gregis quam attentioni, as Bishop Andrews truly complaineth. And no less justly Mr Bolton. Some follow the administration of justice as a trade only; with an unquenchable and unconscionable desire of gain; which justifieth the common resemblance of ill governors to the bush, whereto while the sheep fleeth for defence in weather, he is sure to lose a good part of his fleece. Hence many that seek to courts of justice to be righted, are so ill handled, that they come to be of Themistocles' mind; who professed, that if two ways were shown to him, one to hell and the other to the bar, he would choose that which went to hell, and forsake the other.