'God is present': celebrating Cranmer's Sacramental Theology

On this anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Cranmer, words from his Answer to Gardyner (1551).  Contrary to those presentations of Cranmer which recognise him as a liturgist but reject his significance as a theologian, we see here that the root of the Prayer Book's historic ability to sustain a vibrant reformed catholic sacramental life was Cranmer's rich sacramental theology, and its joyous affirmation that "therefore is Christ present as well in baptism as in the Lord's Supper".  Or, in words from the excellent sermon at the Prayer Book Society Choral Evensong for this year's commemoration of the martyrdom, "the power of Cranmerian doctrine echoes in his liturgy". 

And they be no vain nor bare tokens, as you would persuade, (for a bare token is that which betokeneth only, and giveth nothing, as a painted fire which giveth neither light nor heat,) but in the due ministration of the sacraments, God is present, working with his word and sacraments ...

And therefore you gather of my sayings unjustly, that Christ is indeed absent, for I say, according to God's words and the doctrine of the old writers, that Christ is present in his sacraments, as they teach also that he is present in his word, when he worketh mightily by the same in the hearts of the hearers. By which manner of speech it is not meant that Christ is corporally present in the voice or sound of the speaker, which sound perisheth as soon as the words be spoken, but this speech meaneth, that he worketh with his word, using the voice of the speaker as his instrument to work by, as he useth also his sacraments, whereby he worketh, and therefore is said to be present in them ...

But how can he be taken for a good Christian man, that thinketh that Christ did ordain his sacramental signs and tokens in vain, without effectual grace and operation? For so might we as well say, that the water in baptism is a bare token, and hath no warrant signed by Scripture for any apparel at all: for the Scripture speaketh not of any promise made to the receiving of a token or figure only. And so may be concluded after your manner of reasoning, that in baptism is no spiritual operation in deed, because that washing in water, in itself, is but a token ...

And where you say that in baptism we receive the Spirit of Christ, and in the sacrament of his body and blood we receive his very flesh and blood: this your saying is no small derogation to baptism, wherein we receive not only the Spirit of Christ, but also Christ himself, whole body and soul, manhood and Godhead, unto everlasting life, as well as in the holy communion. For St. Paul saith, Gal. iii. Quicunque in Christo baptizati estis, Christum induistis, As many as be baptized in Christ, put Christ upon them: Nevertheless, this is done in divers respects; for in baptism it is done in respect of regeneration, and in the holy communion, in respect of nourishment and augmentation ...

For you conclude your book with blasphemous words against both the sacrament of baptism and of the Lord's Supper, niggardly pinching God's gifts, and diminishing his liberal promises made unto us in them. For where Christ hath promised in both the sacraments to be assistant with us whole both in body and Spirit, (in the one to be our spiritual regeneration and apparel, and in the other to be our spiritual meat and drink,) you clip his liberal benefits in such sort, that in the one you make him to give but only bis Spirit, and in the other but only his body.

And yet you call your book An Explication and Assertion of the True Catholic Faith  ...

And therefore is Christ present as well in baptism as in the Lord's Supper. For in baptism be we endued with Christ, and seemly clothed with him, as well as in his holy Supper we eat and drink him ...

And yet is not Christ clearly absent in the godly administration of his holy Supper, nor present only in a figure (as ever you untruly report me to say), but by his omnipotent power he is effectually present by spiritual nourishment and feeding, as in baptism he is likewise present by spiritual renewing and regenerating.