He attended King Edward VI School, Southampton, until he was twelve and on 28 December 1581 he was elected a scholar of Winchester College.

He was awarded a DD at Oxford and in 1609 he may have been one of the clergymen charged with editing the new English translation of the Bible commissioned by James I for whom his brother Sir Thomas acted as a secretary.

On 26 February 1608 John Still died and James Montague, Dean of Worcester, succeeded him as Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Three days later, Richard Neile, Dean of Westminster, wrote to Sir Thomas Lake, asking whether his brother would like to be appointed to the Worcester deanery, or would rather wait for Winchester.

He was warden of New College and vice-chancellor of Oxford University until July 1618, and he held the living of Stanton St John along with his bishopric until his death.

His probity was demonstrated when on 15 July 1618 his brother Thomas was freed from prison (where he had been held for slandering the Countess of Exeter) and handed over to Arthur's custody.