The bishops also came under fire from Anglicanism's leading conservative, Archbishop Peter Akinola, the primate of Nigeria. He said the Church of England was effectively introducing gay marriages and issued a warning that it could face similar punishment to that of liberal Americans and Canadians, who are threatened with expulsion from the worldwide Church for extending homosexual rights.

The anger of liberals and conservatives follows the publication last month of House of Bishops guidance on the Civil Partnerships Act, which will offer same-sex couples legal rights similar to marriage when it is enacted on Dec 5.

The bishops' guidance said that clergy could enter into partnerships but only if they first assured their bishops that they would abide by Church teaching that sex should be confined to heterosexual marriage.

It also told clergy that they should not offer formal services of blessing to couples who had been through a civil partnership ceremony.

The bishops argued that the new law would not introduce gay marriage because it did not presuppose sexual relations, but the guidance has been widely derided.

Several hundred clergy are thought likely to take advantage of the new law and homosexual rights campaigners said that most would refuse to tell their bishop about their behaviour in the bedroom.

One of them, the Rev Stephen Coles, the vicar of St Thomas in Finsbury Park, north London, and a member of General Synod, said: "If a bishop asks me if I am having sex I will say, it's none of your business. Frankly, it is a breach of my human rights for him even to ask."

In a separate development, more than 20 clergy have signed a petition promising to offer formal blessings to couples who have entered into civil partnerships despite the bishops' ban on the practice.

The petition, which was posted on the internet by the Rev Ian Stubbs, said: "Jesus nowhere teaches that same-sex relationships fall short of God's purposes. To withhold recognition and blessing of committed same-sex covenants, including civil partnerships, is unscriptural, unlawful and dishonest. We therefore openly commit ourselves to providing, as appropriate, public services of blessing for those who seek them."

The defiance of the gay and liberal clergy will place the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in an increasingly difficult position as he attempts to prevent schism in the worldwide Church over the issue.

The conservatives are demanding the expulsion of the Americans and Canadians for consecrating Anglicanism's first openly homosexual bishop and backing gay blessings.

Their leader, Archbishop Akinola, warned the Church of England, Anglicanism's mother Church, that it could face a similar fate if it allowed its clergy to enter into civil partnerships.

In a strongly worded statement that will dismay Dr Williams, Archbishop Akinola said the bishops' guidance was akin to introducing gay marriages and called on them to renounce it.

"While I have great affection and respect for the historic role that the Church of England has played in all our lives, no Church can ignore the teachings of the Bible with impunity and no Church is beyond discipline," he said.

"The language of the Civil Partnerships Act makes it plain that what is being proposed is same-sex marriage in all but name.

"I find it incomprehensible therefore that the House of Bishops would not find open participation in such 'marriages' to be repugnant to Holy Scriptures and incompatible with Holy Orders.

"The proposal that the bishops will extract a promise from clergy who register that there will be no sexual intimacy in these relationships is the height of hypocrisy."

Lambeth Palace said the Archbishop of Canterbury was away and it had no comment to make.

END