The following excerpt taken from Eureka Volume 3 pages 339 and 341 graphically portrays the spirit of the Papacy as viewed by Brother John Thomas in the nineteenth century. The same spirit activates the designs of the Papal hierarchy in this twenty-first century and whilst his dominion has been reduced geographically, his sway over the hearts and minds of his followers is growing globally.

The noonday of Papal dominion,” says Hallam, “extends from the pontificate of Innocent III; inclusively to that of Boniface VIII, or, in other words, through the thirteenth century. Rome inspired during this age all the terror of her ancient name. She was once more the mistress of the world, and kings were her vassals.” Such was the Image of the Imperial Head of the Ten-Horned Beast healed of its death-plague by Charlemagne, created by “the False Prophet,” or Roman Hierarchial constituent of the healed head, “that wrought the wonders in the presence of the Beast of the Earth, with which he deceived them who received the mark of the beast, and them who worshipped his image” (Apoc. 19:20)…

Such was the Iconic Man in the noonday of his existence, the number of whose name is 666. Is not this the Antichrist? Could any power arise in the world more deserving of the name? Is not this Image-power, The Lawless One, whose coming Paul predicted would be “after the working of the Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish?” It can be no other than “the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called god, or an object of veneration; so that he in the temple of the god sits as a god, publicly exhibiting himself that he is a god.” And yet in view of all the record extant concerning this Iconic Man of Sin, there are protestants who affirm that the papal dynasty is not the Antichrist, and that his revelation is still in the future! Can blindness be more complete than that which cannot see the Lawless One in him whose worshippers declare to be superior to law and above right? If the Antichrist have not been in full manifestation before the world for the past six hundred years, there need be no apprehension of his future advent. But, as we have seen elsewhere, Antichrist and vicar of Christ, or Vice-Christ, are synonymous expressions; so that in this vainglorious title of the papal power it stands confessed as Antichrist, the Image Man of Sin, for the worship or reprobation of mankind.