here it
arises, that _they_ should make an image to the beast. Appeal is made to
the people, showing conclusively that the power is in their hands. But
just as surely as the government symbolized is a republic, so surely is
it none other than the United States of America.

We have seen that the wonder-working Satanic agencies, which are to
perform the foretold miracles, and prepare the people for the next step
in the prophecy, the formation of the image, are already in the field,
and have even now wrought out a work of vast proportion in our country;
and we now hasten forward to the very important inquiry, What will
constitute the image? and what steps are necessary to its formation?

The people are to be called upon to make an image _to_ the beast, which
expression doubtless involves the idea of some deferential action
toward, or concessions to, that power; and the image, when made, is an
image, likeness, or representation _of_ the beast. Verse 15. The beast
from which the image is modeled, is the one which had a wound by a sword
and did live, or the papacy. From this point is seen the collusion of
the two-horned beast with the leopard or papal beast. He does great
wonders in the sight of that beast; he causes men to worship that beast;
he leads them to make an image to that beast; and he causes all to
receive a mark, which is the mark of that beast. These palpable
evidences of co-operation with the papal power, led Eld. J. Litch, about
1842, to write concerning the two-horned beast thus:--

"I think it is a power yet to be developed or made manifest, as an
accomplice of the papacy in subjecting the world."

To understand what would be an image of the papacy, we must first form a
definite idea of what constitutes the papacy itself. Papal supremacy
dates from the time when the decree of Justinian, constituting the pope
the head of the church and the corrector of heretics, was carried into
effect, in 538. The papacy, then, was a church clothed with civil power,
an ecclesiastical body, having authority to punish all dissenters with
confiscation, imprisonment, torture, and death. What would be an image
of the papacy? Another ecclesiastical establishment clothed with similar
power. How could such an image be formed in this country? Let the
Protestant churches in our land be clothed with power to define and
punish heresy, to enforce their dogmas under the pains and penalties of
the civil law, and should we not h