pretended to have over those Provinces. Upon the Death of _Acholius_ he conferred the same Dignity on his Successor _Anysius_, as did the following Popes on the succeeding Bishops of _Thessalonica_, who, by thus supporting the Pretensions of _Rome_, became the first Bishops, and, in a manner, the Patriarchs, of _East Illyricum_; for they are sometimes distinguished with that Title. This, however, was not done without Opposition, the other Metropolitans not readily acknowleging for their Superior one who, till that time, had been their Equal[1188]. _Syricius_, who succeeded _Damasus_, inlarging the Power claimed by his Predecessor, decreed, that no Bishop should be ordained in _East Illyricum_ without the Consent and Approbation of the Bishop of _Thessalonica_[1189]. But it was some time before this Decree took place. Pope _Innocent_ I. writes, that his Predecessors committed to the Care of _Acholius_, _Achaia_, _Thessaly_, the Two _Epirus’s_, _Candia_, the Two _Dacia’s_, _Mœsia_, _Dardania_, and _Prævalitana_, now Part of _Albania_, impowering him to judge and decide the Controversies that might arise there, and appointing him to be _the first among the Primates, without prejudicing the Primacy of those Churches_[1190]. Thus were the Bishops of _Thessalonica_ first appointed Vicars or Vicegerents of the Bishops of _Rome_, probably in the Year 382. for in that Year _Acholius_ assisted at the Council of _Rome_, and it was, in all Likelihood, on that Occasion that _Damasus_ vested him with this new Dignity. [Sidenote: _The Institution of Vicars improved by the succeeding Popes._] The Contrivance of _Damasus_ was notably improved by his Successors, who, in order to extend and inlarge their Authority, conferred the Title of their Vicars, and the pretended Power annexed to it, on the most eminent Prelates of other Provinces and Kingdoms, engaging them thereby to depend upon them, and to promote the Authority of their See, to the utter Suppression of the antient Rights and Liberties both of Bishops and Synods. This Dignity was for the most part annexed to certain Sees, but sometimes conferred on particular Persons. Thus was _Austin_ appointed the Pope’s Vicar in _England_, _Boniface_ in _Germany_; and both, in virtue of the Power which they pretended to have been imparted to them with that Title, usurped and exercised an Authority above that of Metropolitans. The Institution of Vicars was, by the succeeding Popes, improved into that of Legates, or, to use _De Marca_’s Expression, the latter Institution was grafted on the former[1191]. [Sidenote: _Legates vested with greater Power than Vicars._] The Legates were vested with a far greater Power than the Vicars, or, as Pope _Leo_ expresses it, _were admitted to a far greater Share of his Care, though not to the Plenitude of his Power_[1192]. They were sent on proper Occasions into all Countries, and never failed exerting, to the utmost Stretch, their boasted Power, oppressing, in