papacy, symbolized by the image, had been predicted in
Daniel under the symbol of "a Little Horn," that came up among the
previous "ten horns," before whom "there were three of the first horns
plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes
of man, and a mouth speaking great things," Dan. 7:8. These horns were
thus explained to Daniel: "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom
upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the
whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten
horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another
shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he
shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the Most
High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change
times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and
times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall
take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the
kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey
him." _Ib._ vs. 23-27.

When Paul spoke of the second coming of Christ, in his first epistle to
the Thessalonians, they understood that it was an event then imminent. The
apostle, in his second epistle, corrects this impression, by referring to
the foregoing prediction in Daniel, which must be previously fulfilled. He
assures them that "the day of Christ" "shall not come, except there be" an
apostasy, or "a falling away first, and that Man of Sin," or the lawless
one, "be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God,
sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye
not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye
know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the
mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let,
until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming," 2 Thess. 2:2-8.

The uniform application of these predictions to the Papacy, by Protes