Well jeepers, dear BroJoeK, I guess we need to start off with a definition of "substance," a philosophical term not much heard of in "science."
The entry for "substance" at the Stanford Encyclopedia On-Line:
The philosophical term ‘substance’ corresponds to the Greek ousia, which means ‘being’, transmitted via the Latin substantia, which means ‘something that stands under or grounds things’.From the the Catholic Encyclopedia On-Line: "Substance, the first of Aristotle's categories, signifies being as existing in and by itself, and serving as a subject or basis for accidents and accidental changes."
Thus, "substance" refers to that which does not change. It is sui-generis and perfectly self-subsisting. It is eternal Being in and of itself.
I believe this perfect One Being expresses to man as Three Divine Persons — Father, Son, Spirit. Each Person has been revealed to man in history. But each Person — though they seem "divisible" to us, from the human perspective — is indivisible in the Godhead, the One Substance and — as reflected through the Son — the One Logos of God's Creation, Alpha to Omega.
Well, that's just me. Let's go to the source you cited ("Nicaean Creed," Marquis of Bute's translation), and you can draw your own conclusions:
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all One, the Glory Equal, the Majesty Co-Eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father Uncreate, the Son Uncreate, and the Holy Ghost Uncreate. The Father Incomprehensible, the Son Incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost Incomprehensible. The Father Eternal, the Son Eternal, and the Holy Ghost Eternal and yet they are not Three Eternals but One Eternal. As also there are not Three Uncreated, nor Three Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One Uncomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not Three Almighties but One Almighty.Please note: When I read this, every time I hit the word "Catholic," I instantly translate it in my own mind as "Christian." Lower-case-"c" catholic means "universal." Beyond its creedal differences, Christianity is truly "universal" in its appeal to human souls. So I think I'll stick with the Word "Christian," for public discourse purposes....
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three Gods, but One God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not Three Lords but One Lord. For, like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion to say, there be Three Gods or Three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father, and of the Son neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is One Father, not Three Fathers; one Son, not Three Sons; One Holy Ghost, not Three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after Other, None is greater or less than Another, but the whole Three Persons are Co-eternal together, and Co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting Salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man.
God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the substance of His mother, born into the world. Perfect God and Perfect Man, of a reasonable Soul and human Flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood. Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but One Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into Flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by Unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one Man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into Hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.
Thanks so much for writing, dear BroJoeK!
So the Father is God, the Son is God,
***And to deny that is heresy. As the title of this thread says, Damnable Heresy. From the article:
John identifies antichrists... they specifically deny the living, personal Holy Trinity in favor of Gnostic pagan, immanent or Eastern pantheist conceptions.
Sorry for that senior moment, really, I've studied these matters -- at least somewhat -- and "get" what it's all about.
More important, when needed, I know where to go for precise data.
My basic attitude toward all that theological fantasizing is the same as Rhett Butler's, at the very end, after the war and everything is lost: "Frankly my dear..."
I prefer to think that the Bible means what it says, and says what it means, and where the meanings are not clear, that's because they were not intended to be clear, and we are free to interpret them according to our best judgments.
You can interpret them as you see them...
So, if poor benighted souls, like our own Kevmo, imagine this or that interpretation to be "damnable heresy", that is his problem, it's a theological sickness which desperately needs treatment, but in the final analysis, as the man said, "Frankly, my dear...".
Our Founding Fathers were, generally, deistic-Freemason-Unitarian Christians, and that is the religious viewpoint I am here to defend -- regardless of how insanely Kevmo or anybody else may howl about it.