stupend fastings, divorce as they will themselves, &c., and as the papists call on the Virgin Mary, so do they on Thomas Didymus before Christ. [6360]The Greek or Eastern Church is rent from this of the West, and as they have four chief patriarchs, so have they four subdivisions, besides those Nestorians, Jacobins, Syrians, Armenians, Georgians, &c., scattered over Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, &c., Greece, Walachia, Circassia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Albania, Illyricum, Sclavonia, Croatia, Thrace, Servia, Rascia, and a sprinkling amongst the Tartars, the Russians, Muscovites, and most of that great duke’s (czar’s) subjects, are part of the Greek Church, and still Christians:  but as [6361]one saith, temporis successu multas illi addiderunt superstitiones. In process of time they have added so many superstitions, they be rather semi-Christians than otherwise.  That which remains is the Western Church with us in Europe, but so eclipsed with several schisms, heresies and superstitions, that one knows not where to find it.  The papists have Italy, Spain, Savoy, part of Germany, France, Poland, and a sprinkling in the rest of Europe.  In America, they hold all that which Spaniards inhabit, Hispania Nova, Castella Aurea, Peru, &c.  In the East Indies, the Philippines, some small holds about Goa, Malacca, Zelan, Ormus, &c., which the Portuguese got not long since, and those land-leaping Jesuits have essayed in China, Japan, as appears by their yearly letters; in Africa they have Melinda, Quiloa, Mombaze, &c., and some few towns, they drive out one superstition with another.  Poland is a receptacle of all religions, where Samosetans, Socinians, Photinians (now protected in Transylvania and Poland), Arians, Anabaptists are to be found, as well as in some German cities.  Scandia is Christian, but [6362]Damianus A-Goes, the Portugal knight, complains, so mixed with magic, pagan rites and ceremonies, they may be as well counted idolaters:  what Tacitus formerly said of a like nation, is verified in them, [6363]"A people subject to superstition, contrary to religion.”  And some of them as about Lapland and the Pilapians, the devil’s possession to this day, Misera haec gens (saith mine [6364]author) Satanae hactenus possessio,—­et quod maxime mirandum et dolendum, and which is to be admired and pitied; if any of them be baptised, which the kings of Sweden much labour, they die within seven or nine days after, and for that cause they will hardly be brought to Christianity, but worship still the devil, who daily appears to them.  In their idolatrous courses, Gandentibus diis patriis, quos religiose colunt, &c.  Yet are they very superstitious, like our wild Irish:  though they of the better note, the kings of Denmark and Sweden themselves, that govern them, be Lutherans; the remnant are Calvinists, Lutherans, in Germany equally mixed.  And yet the emperor himself, dukes of Lorraine, Bavaria, and the princes, electors, are most part professed papists.  And