In his interaction with, and critique of,
chapter IV of session 6 (1546) of the Council of Trent (dated 21st November, 1547) John Calvin understood
this session to be teaching baptism of desire:
Towards the end of
the fifth head they affirm that no transference to a state of grace
takes place without Baptism, or a wish for it. (John
Calvin, "Antidote to the Council of Trent," in Tracts, Volume 3 [trans.
Henry Beveridge; Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1851], 109)
Calvin, who knew Latin, understood the
conjunction aut to mean “or,” not “and” as many critics of baptism of
desire claim the conjunction means (e.g., Peter Dimond, Outside the Catholic
Church There is Absolutely No Salvation [2d ed.; Fillmore, N.Y.: Most Holy
Family Monastery, 2006] and other Feenyites). Furthermore, Calvin,
notwithstanding his being critical of Trent, does not charge the Catholic
church of teaching a novelty during this session, so it is clear that this was
not objectionable to, not just those at Trent, but even critics thereof.
