'In the ministration of the sacrament': Cranmer's 'Answer to Gardiner', Taylor, and Christ's presence in the eating of the Bread and the drinking of the Cup

One of the consistent themes in Gardiner's critique of Cranmer is the accusation of inconsistency - that Cranmer is denying his previous writings in order to further radicalize his eucharistic doctrine. In this extract, Gardiner draws attention to Cranmer using the word "there" - in the sacrament - with reference to the gift of the Lord's Body and Blood:

This is here worthy a special note, how by the manner of the speech in the latter part of this difference, the teaching seemeth to be, that Christ is spiritually present in the sacrament, because of the word "there," which thou, reader, mayest compare how it agreeth with the rest of this author's doctrine. 

Cranmer's response, in his Answer to Gardiner (1551), is not to deny that the Lord's Body and Blood is present "there". Christ is indeed truly present "there" - in the faithful eating of the Bread and Wine:

And where of  this word "there," you would conclude repugnance in my doctrine, that where in other places I have written, that Christ is spiritually present in them that receive the sacrament, and not in the sacraments of bread and wine, and now it should seem that I teach contrary, that Christ is spiritually present in the very bread and wine, if you pleased to understand my words rightly, there is no repugnance in my words at all. For by this word "there," I mean not in the sacraments of bread and wine, but in the ministration of the sacrament, as the old authors for the most part, when they speak of the presence of Christ in the sacrament, they mean in the ministration of the sacrament. 

Cranmer points to the administration of the Sacrament: "there" Christ is present, in the eating of the Bread and the drinking of the Cup. This, for Cranmer, is infinitely more significant than declaring Christ to be "in" the Bread and Wine. For Christ to be "in" the Bread and Wine matters not to our salvation. For Christ to be "there", in the eating of the Bread and drinking of the Cup is for our salvation, for then He is "spiritually present in them that receive the sacrament". And to this Cranmer applies the patristic understanding of our feeding upon Christ in the Sacrament: in other words, what the Fathers say about the holy Mysteries is to be said about this, about what happens "there", as the Bread is eaten, the Cup drunk.

Again, this illustrates how Cranmer's sacramental theology cannot be described as 'low'. What the "old authors" say of the Eucharist is to be said of our eating and drinking of the Sacrament of Bread and Wine.

This is emphasised when we considered how the Laudian Taylor similarly expressed our partaking of Christ in the Eucharist. In The Real Presence and Spiritual of Christ in the Blessed Statement (1654), Taylor refers to the Words of Institution as declaring what it is to eat the Bread and drink the Cup:

And if these words which are called the words of Consecration be exegetical, and enunciative of the change that is made by prayers, and other mystical words; it cannot be possibly inferred from these words that there is any other change made then what refers to the whole mystery and action: and therefore, Take, eat, and this do, are as necessary to the Sacrament as Hoc est corpus and declare that it is Christ's body only in the use and administration; and therefore not natural but spiritual ... the change is not natural and proper, but figurative, sacramental, and spiritual; exhibiting what it signifies, being real to all intents and purposes of the Spirit

That the Bread and Wine are "figurative" is, of course, also Cranmer's understanding:

For Christ called bread his body and wine his blood, which, as the old authors say, must needs be understanded figuratively ...

For both Cranmer and Taylor the figure is true; we feed on Christ as we partake of the Bread and Cup, as the Fathers declare. Again, Taylor:

we shall find that many, very many of the authorities of the Fathers commonly alleged by the Roman Doctors in this question will come to nothing. For we speak their sense, and in their own words, the Church of England  expressing this mystery frequently in the same forms of words; and we are so certain that to eat Christs body Spiritually is to eat him really, that there is no other way for him to be eaten really, then by Spiritual manducation.

And so, Taylor states:

we affirm that Christ is really taken by faith, by the Spirit, to all real effects of his passion.

As Cranmer declared, "there" - "in the ministration of the sacrament" - Christ is present.