He graduated at the
University of Cambridge in 1520–21, and became a
Fellow of
St. John's College, Cambridge on 19 September 1522. Though apparently always a
Roman Catholic in belief, Day submitted to the assumption by
Henry VIII of
ecclesiastical supremacy. He was made Master of St John's in 1537,
Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, and Provost of
King's College, Cambridge (though not a fellow of it) by special exercise of the royal authority, in 1538.
Consecrated Bishop of Chichester in 1543 by
Thomas Cranmer, he firmly opposed the spread of the
Protestant Reformation under
Edward VI. He answered in a Catholic sense Cranmer's written questions on the "Sacrament of the Altar", defended the Catholic doctrine in the
House of Lords, and voted against the
bills for
Communion under both kinds, and for the introduction of the new
Prayer Book. In his own
diocese his preaching was so effective that, in October 1550, the Council felt it necessary to send "
Dr. Cox, the king's
almoner, to appease the people by his good doctrine, which are troubled through the
seditious preaching of the Bishop of Chichester and others." In the following December, Day was brought before the Council to answer for his disregard of an
injunction to have "all the altars in every church taken down, and in lieu of them a table set up", – himself preaching on the occasion, if possible in his
cathedral. After repeated interrogations, his final answer was that "he would never obey to do this thing, thinking it a less evil to suffer the body to perish than to corrupt the soul with that thing that his conscience would not bear". For this "
contempt" he was
imprisoned in the
Fleet Prison, and after further questionings was deprived of his
bishopric in October 1551. From the Fleet, he was transferred in June 1552 into the keeping of
Thomas Goodrich,
Bishop of Ely and at that time
Lord Chancellor, in whose custody he remained until the death of
Edward VI.
Queen Mary restored him at once to his dignity, besides naming him her
almoner. In re-establishing the ancient worship she had, however, to proceed cautiously. Contemporary chroniclers record that Cranmer conducted Edward's funeral "without any cross or light", and "with a communion in English", though "the Bishop of Chichester preached a good sermon". Day again preached at
Mary's coronation. His formal absolution and confirmation in his bishopric by
Cardinal Pole, as
Papal Legate, is dated 31 January 1555. Day was involved in the trial of the Protestant martyr
Richard Woodman. His death occurred only a year and a half after he was restored by Pole. He was buried in
Chichester Cathedral.
William Day,
Bishop of Winchester, was his brother. ==References==