of substance between the partners of a syzygy. The term was already in current use by the 2nd-century Gnostics, and through their works it became known to the orthodox heresiologists, though this Gnostic use of the term had no reference to the specific relationship between Father and Son, as is the case in the Nicene Creed. It has been noted that this Greek term homoousian ('same being' or 'consubstantial'), which Athanasius of Alexandria favoured, was also a term reportedly used by Sabellius—a term that many who held with Athanasius were uneasy about. Their objection to the term homoousian 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", meaning that, to Sabellius, the Father and Son were one essential person, operating as different manifestations or modes. Athanasius' use of the word is intended to affirm that while the Father and Son are eternally distinct in a truly personal manner (i.e. with mutual love, per John 3:35, 14:31), both are nevertheless one being, essence, nature, or substance, having one personal spirit. History and development Modalism has been mainly associated with Sabellius, who taught a form of it in Rome in the 3rd century. This had come to him via the teachings of Noetus and Praxeas. Noetus was excommunicated from the Church after being examined by council, and Praxeas is said to have recanted his modalistic views in writing, teaching again his former faith. Sabellius likewise was excommunicated by council in Alexandria, and after complaint of this was made to Rome, a second council then assembled in Rome and also ruled against not only Sabellianism, but against Arianism, and against Tritheism, while affirming a Divine Triad as the catholic understanding of the Divine Monarchy. Hippolytus of Rome knew Sabellius personally, writing how he and others had admonished Sabellius in Refutation of All Heresies. He knew Sabellius opposed Trinitarian theology, yet he called Modal Monarchism the heresy of Noetus, not that of Sabellius. Sabellianism was embraced by Christians in Cyrenaica, to whom Dionysius, Patriarch of Alexandria (who was instrumental in the excommunication of Sabellius in Alexandria), wrote letters arguing against this belief. Hippolytus himself perceived modalism as a new and peculiar idea which was covertly gaining a following: Some others are secretly introducing another doctrine, who have become disciples of one Noetus, who was