The Seventh Arian Confession ( Second Sirmium Confession ) held that both " homoousios " ( of one substance ) and " homoiousios " ( of similar substance ) were unbiblical and that the Father is greater than the Son . ( This confession was later known as the Blasphemy of Sirmium)
32.
Though in modern times the authenticity of the " Letter " has been questioned, on the grounds that the word " homoousios " occurs in the final blessing, many scholars believe this may be a later interpolation, and accept the letter's authenticity on the grounds of other pieces of internal evidence.
33.
But when some of Arius's writings were read aloud, they are reported to have been denounced as blasphemous by most participants . ) that the Son was of the same essence ( homoousios ) with the Father ( or one in essence with the Father ), and was eternally generated from that essence of the Father.
34.
The Nicene Creed's central term, used to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son, is Homoousios ( ), or Consubstantiality, meaning " of the same substance " or " of one being " . ( The Athanasian Creed is less often used but is a more overtly anti-Arian statement on the Trinity .)
35.
All agree that the First Council of Nicaea included in its Creed the major term " homoousios " ( of the same essence ), which was used also by the Council of Chalcedon to speak of a double consubstantiality of Christ, " consubstantial with the Father as touching his Godhead, and consubstantial with us as touching his manhood ".
36.
He introduced the term Trinity ( Latin " trinitas " ) to the Christian vocabulary and also probably the formula " three Persons, one Substance " as the Latin " tres Personae, Homoousios " ), and also the terms " Vetus Testamentum " ( Old Testament ) and " Novum Testamentum " ( New Testament ).
37.
However, as the Trinity was finalized at this time as official Christian doctrine, the offended Semi-Arians walked out . " They rejected the Arian view that Christ was created and had a different nature from God ( anomoios dissimilar ), but neither did they accept the Nicene Creed which stated that Christ was'of one substance ( homoousios ) with the Father '.
38.
The Athanasian Creed uses the term " substantia " ( a Latin translation of the Nicene " homoousios " :'same being'or'consubstantial') not only with respect to the relation of the Son to the Father according to his divine nature, but also says the Son is " substantia " of his mother Mary according to his human nature.
39.
Their objection to the term " homoousios " was that it was considered to be " un-Scriptural, suspicious, and of a Sabellian tendency . " This was because Sabellius also considered the Father and the Son to be " one substance . " By that Sabellius meant that the Father and Son were " one essential Person ", though operating as different manifestations, roles, faces, or modes.
40.
Whether or not the so-called " fourth formula " is to be ascribed to a continuation of this synod or to a subsequent but distinct assembly of the same year, its aim is like that of the first three; while repudiating certain Arian formulas it avoids the orthodox term " homoousios ", fiercely advocated by Athanasius of Alexandria and accepted by the First Council of Nicaea ( Nicaea I ).
