AN ATTEMPT to introduce heresy trials into the Church of England has been defeated narrowly at the General Synod of the Church of England, in spite of an endorsement from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

In what one senior Synod member described as “turkeys refusing to vote for Christmas”, the report was thrown out by a majority of 103-99.

The clergy would have been most vulnerable to the proposals, which could have landed them in the doctrinal dock for preaching a sermon in favour of homosexual ordinations.

By contrast, the bishops and laity were overwhelmingly in favour of the new disciplinary tribunals for matters of doctrine, ritual and ceremonial.

Dr Williams, who himself at one time took a liberal stance on controversial issues such as homosexuality, said: “It’s always very difficult in a situation where we’re immediately aware of particular controversies to retreat and look at general principle.

“And at the moment it may be rather difficult to imagine that the Church could ever be concerned about anything other than sex or surplices, given the particular configuration of offences that seem to be envisaged here.”

He said that he thought that the new disciplinary proposals would “serve the integrity and credibility of the Church”. “Certain things really are incompatible with Christian profession. I don’t think we ought to let ourselves forget that,” he said.

The Archdeacon of Worcester, the Ven Joy Tetley, said: “We need to think long and hard before we ban anyone outside the church community. Jesus was handed to death by orthodoxy because of his eccentric interpretation of doctrine.”

Dr Philip Giddings, a leading evangelical from Reading, said that the proposals would have given confidence to the laity. “We should eliminate persecution, preserve the orthodox teaching in the Church of England and seem to be honourable,” he said.

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