In an appeal for tolerance, the bishop argued that the spirit had a habit of "stretching" the Church to make room for "new realities".

Bishop Griswold's sermon followed growing speculation that he and other liberal bishops would be punished for consecrating Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire last year.

But his words will make little impact on conservatives, some of whom are angry that he was even invited to preach at one of the Church of England's flagship cathedrals at such a sensitive time.

The Church's conservative wing has denounced active homosexuality and gay "marriages" as contrary to the Bible and have threatened splits if sanctions are not imposed against bishops who have breached official Anglican policy.

Liberals fought back last week, giving a warning that civil war would follow any attempt to apply discipline by the Lambeth Commission, the body set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to avert schism. The commission is to publish its recommendations next month.

With the prospect of fresh confrontation, both Bishop Griswold and Bishop Robinson, a divorce who lives with his male lover, have made it clear that they are not about to modify their positions.

Bishop Griswold said in a radio interview broadcast yesterday that he hoped that the commission would not recommend a "juridical" solution, and that the worldwide Church would remain "broad and inclusive".

He told BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme: "If scripture can only be read literally, classical Anglicanism is dead.

"There has always been a willingness to read the scripture in the light of one's immediate understanding of the Gospel, but also to read the scripture critically in terms of the context in which various books were written.

END