It reads: "There is ample evidence from church history, not least, and most recently, in the Anglican Communion, that actions by individual provinces touching the scriptural and traditional faith and order of the Church, actions that inevitably unchurch those who cannot accept such changes, do not serve the unity which Christ asks of his Church."

The letter, which is signed by six diocesan bishops, including one of the highest ranking in the Church, the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Tom Wright, says: "This matter touches profoundly both the order and identity of the Church of England and its place in the Church as a whole."

The bishops argue that the Bishop of Rochester's report showed that there is still "major theological disagreement within the Church of England" on the issue. They add that it is also a matter of deep concern to ecumenical partners who share a historic commitment to apostolic order.

It would be inappropriate to take action before there has been "a full and extensive theological debate," they argue. "To begin the process of removing the legal impediments to the ordination of women as bishops before such debate would widely and correctly be interpreted as assuming the answer."

Campaigners for women bishops will be concerned that the intervention of the bishops ahead of next week's meeting could cast doubt over what had seemed like a certain vote in favour of removing the legal obstacles preventing women from being promoted to the episcopate.

For the motion to be passed, it will require a backing from two-thirds of each of the General Synod's houses of laity, clergy and bishops.

The Bishop of Pontefract, the Rt Rev Tony Robinson, one of the letter's signatories, said that there needed to be a fuller discussion at all levels of the Church before Synod took a decision on the issue.

Christina Rees, Chair of Women and the Church, attacked the bishops' letter as "an insult" to the thousands of women serving as priests.

She refuted the claim that the Church had not had a proper debate on the issue and said that the overwhelming majority of the Church wanted women as bishops. "This has been on our agenda for 30 years. The time is now right. The exasperation most people in the Church feel that this has not happened yet is very high. We have already exhausted the issues."

Mrs Rees warned that the Church would be left in a far worse state if it took more time to debate the issue.

There are 14 provinces in the Communion that have already approved women as bishops. Only eight do not have women's ordination.

END

Text of bishops' letter on women bishops

July 1, 2005

Sir, At the July meeting of the General Synod a motion is to be debated asking that the legal impediments for the ordination of women as bishops be removed. As a number of diocesan synods have requested this, we accept the decision of the House of Bishops to test the mind of Synod in this way. We hope, however, that members of the Church of England as a whole will be given the opportunity to consider the implications of the Rochester Report (Women Bishops in the Church of England?) before any such decision is taken.

This matter touches profoundly both the order and identity of the Church of England and its place in the Church as a whole. The Report shows that this is still a matter of major theological disagreement within the Church of England, and is also a matter of deep concern to those ecumenical partners who share our historic commitment to apostolic order.

Bishops are called to be instruments of unity. They are ministers of the communion of churches and are specially charged with guarding and handing on the faith and order of the Church. That faith and order the Church of England has consistently claimed to be the apostolic faith and order of the universal Church. In our proposed new ordinal, those being ordained as bishops are required "to strive for the visible unity of Christ's Church".

There is ample evidence from church history, not least, and most recently, in the Anglican Communion, that actions by individual provinces touching the scriptural and traditional faith and order of the Church, actions that inevitably unchurch those who cannot accept such changes, do not serve the unity which Christ asks of his Church. "Reception is a long and spiritual process" (Grindrod Report (1988) cited in Resolution III.2 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference)

At the very least the full and extensive theological debate requested by the General Synod in setting up the Bishop of Rochester's Working Party must be held throughout the Church of England, and in consultation with all our ecumenical partners, before it would be appropriate to act as if that debate had already taken place and had been concluded in a particular way. To begin the process of removing the legal impediments to the ordination of women as bishops before such debate would widely and correctly be interpreted as assuming the answer.

On this feast of the apostles, St Peter and St Paul, who, despite their often sharply expressed differences, witnessed to the unity of the Church both in their teaching and their faithfulness to death, we pray that new divisions be not forced upon the Church of England, and that the episcopal ministry may continue to be the (albeit imperfect) ministry of unity our Church has hitherto maintained.

The Bishops of Gibraltar in Europe, Beverley, Blackburn, Chester, Chichester, Durham, Exeter (members of the House of Bishops);

Together with the Bishops of Burnley, Ebbsfleet, Edmonton, Fulham, Horsham, Lewes, Pontefract, Richborough, Whitby, and the Assistant Bishop of Newcastle.