'The effect is the communication of Christ's body': Cranmer's 'Answer to Gardiner' and the effect of the Sacrament

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And this shall suffice here, to show how Christ's intent was to give verily, as he did in deed, his precious body and blood to be eaten and drunken.

Cranmer has no hesitation in affirming these words of his opponent in the Answer to Gardiner (1551). This is indeed what the Dominical and Apostolic words on the institution of the Eucharist declare:

And when this true believing man cometh to the Lord's Supper, and according to Christ's commandment receiveth the bread broken in remembrance that Christ's body was broken for him upon the cross, and drinketh the wine in remembrance of the effusion of Christ's blood for his sins, and unfeignedly believeth the same, to him the words of our Saviour Christ be effectuous and operatory, Take, eat, this is my body which is given for thee; and, Drink of this, for this is my blood which is shed for thee, to the remission of thy sins. And as St. Paul saith, the bread unto him is the communion of Christ's body, and the wine, the communion of his blood. For the effect of his godly eating, as you truly herein gather of St. Paul's words, is the communication of Christ's body and blood ...

There is "the communication of Christ's body and blood" in the holy Sacrament. This, however, is also the key point of difference between Cranmer and Gardiner on eucharistic theology, for these words of the Lord, reported also by the Apostle, are addressed to those who partake of the Sacrament, not to the bread and wine:

but to the faithful receiver, and not to the dumb creatures of bread and wine, under whose forms the catholic faith teacheth not the body and blood of Christ invisibly to be hidden. And as to the godly eater, who duly esteemeth Christ's body, and hath it in such price and estimation as he ought to have, the effect is the communication of Christ's body; so to the wicked eater, the effect is damnation and everlasting woe.

The bread and wine of which we partake in the Eucharist bear and carry the promise of Christ:

And now I am glad, that here yourself have found out a warrant for the apparel of bread and wine, that they shall not go altogether naked, and be nude and bare tokens, but have promises of effectual signification, which now you have espied out, both in the words of Christ and St. Paul.

These "promises of effectual signification" are the Dominical words, repeated by the Apostle. This is why the bread and wine are not "nude and bare tokens", as Gardiner had alleged of Cranmer's eucharistic theology. Rather, they are signs and assurances to us of "the communication of Christ's body" in the Lord's Supper.

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With this post the weekly readings from Nelson's Life of Dr. George Bull, Cranmer's Answer to Gardiner, and Bishop David Lindsay's work on the Articles of Perth pause. Next week, laudable Practice will begin to prepare for Advent, with seasonal themes continuing until Christmas. The weekly readings from the three works will resume in January.

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