Mounted on the world's highest seat, how was the Antichrist to demean himself? –With an arrogance never witnessed before. As regards kings, he was to hold himself their master, and as regards God, he was to deem himself his equal, "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." (2 Thess. 2:4)
These words would appear to foreshadow a double usurpation on the part of Antichrist, the first, over all earthly rulers, and the second, over the great Ruler of heaven. The testimony of history is clear on both points. It shows that the ambition of the Pope has been twofold. He has vaulted over the throne of kings into the seat of God.
Who are they who are "called God," whom Antichrist was to oppose, and over whom he was to exalt himself? We strongly incline to think that it is magistrates and kings who are meant. Righteous law is the expression of God's will. Those who administer it are His deputies. On earth they fill the office, and bear the image of the Supreme Magistrate. Thus, in scripture, magistrates are called "gods." "I have said ye are gods." "God sitteth in the assembly of the mighty, he judgeth among the gods" (Ps. 82:1). "There be," says the apostle (1 Cor. 8:5), "that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth." And we are commanded to be subject to kings and all in authority, for conscience' sake. In this light the clause foretells that Antichrist would usurp supremacy over all civil authority, and rule on earth; (This is the true exegesis of the passage. In the Greek it is: "all called theos, or that is sebasma," which we may render thus: "all that is called divine, or that is venerable.) and truly the Papacy has fulfilled the prophecy to the letter. As a pretended divine and infallible Vice-regency, it claims to hold, in its hands, the administration of all human affairs, temporal and spiritual, and to make all nations, magistrates, and kings accountable at its bar.
Let us here again mark the parallelism. This assumed Vice-regency over all human affairs is another part of the false Christ's imitation of the true Christ. Christ possesses this power in reality, therefore Antichrist must needs possess it in appearance. God the Father is the immediate Governor of the universe, but he carries on His government through God the Son. This power he has delegated to Christ as Head of the Church, and as a reward of His sufferings. "He raised Him from the dead," says the apostle, "and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places; far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is his body." (Eph. 1:20-23)
These words expressly teach that the Father made Christ head of the Church, and so gave him all spiritual power, and head of the world to the Church, and so subordinated to him all temporal power. The passage, in fact, presents him as seated on the throne of the universe, on his head the diadem of unlimited and everlasting dominion, in his hand the sceptre of a boundless empire; and at his bidding all the princedoms and powers of heaven, all the thrones, armies, and potentates of earth, in order to the effectual carrying out of the great ends of his mediatorial sovereignty.
The Popes were true to their assumed character as Vice-Christs in this point also. They claimed to be the world's supreme magistrates. Cardinal Bellarmine affirms that every title which is in Scripture given to Christ appertains also to the Pope. Binding up in one colossal jurisdiction things temporal and spiritual, the Pope stretched his sceptre over all the seats of human judicature, and sat with his feet on the necks of kings, as well as of priests. He claimed it as his prerogative to judge all, but to be judged by none; to make laws, but to be subject to no law; thereby unconsciously vindicating his prophetic appellative" the lawless one." He has had himself depicted holding in one hand the "keys" of spiritual authority, and in the other the sword of temporal power. He has taught that it was fit that all princes should kiss his feet, and has extorted from not a few this act of obedience. He has inculcated on monarchs that sound orthodoxy requires them to hold their kingdoms as fiefs of the papal chair; and to keep alive in them this pious frame of mind, he has imposed on them and on their subjects the tax of Peter's Pence. If still he discerned in them the risings of pride, this meek vicar of Christ has plucked the sceptre from their hand, kicked their crown with his pontifical foot, and transferred their dominion to some more devout and jumble-minded neighbour. All this he has done "as set of God over the kingdoms and nations to plant and to pluck up-to build and to pull down –to make and to unmake kings." "Is not the king of England my bondslave? (Pope Boniface VIII, to Philip, King of France) were words from the "great mouth."
And the Popes have shown themselves on occasion as mighty in deeds as in words. Gregory VII dethroned Henry IV of Germany, Innocent III Otho, and our King John Paul III, Henry VIII and Pius V and Gregory XIII, passed sentence of deposition on Queen Elizabeth. Pius V, as "he alone who had been constituted prince over all nations and all kingdoms, to pull down, destroy, dissipate, disperse, plant, and build ...pronounced the said Elizabeth, a heretic... and deprived her of the pretended right to the kingdom, as well as of every domination, dignity and privilege what soever," pronouncing the same anathema on all who dare obey her. If the annals of the Papacy at this hour are not illustrated by these solemn acts of pontifical justice, it is because the power, and not the right is lacking. The Roman Church has made it the solemn duty of all her members to destroy all Protestants when they are able to do without danger to themselves. Bannes, a Dominican, determines "that Catholics in England and Saxony are excused from rising up against their Protestant princes with their subjects, because they commonly are not powerful enough, and the attempt in such circumstances would expose them to great danger." (In 2:2; Thom. 9-12) art. 2) Belarmine, one of their greatest autorities, is equally frank and explicit. He says: "If it were possible out the heretics, without doubt, they are to be destroyed root and branch; but if it cannot be done, because they are stronger that we, and there be danger that if they should oppose us that we should be worsted, then we are to be quiet." (De Laicis, lib. / cap.22.) The two latest Popes, Pius IX and Leo XIII in their public manifestos, claim the same formidable power; but they prudently pospone the exercise of it till the arrival of a happier day to the Papacy.