Saturday, October 17, 2020

John Calvin: The Council of Trent Taught Baptism of Desire

 

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.