He became chaplain to Edmund Bonner, bishop of London, who collated him on 9 July 1548 to the prebend of Twyford in St Paul's Cathedral.
After the disgrace of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset Chedsey inveighed openly at Oxford against the reformed doctrines, and in consequence was, by an order in council of 10 March 1551, committed to the Marshalsea prison for seditious preaching; he was imprisoned till 11 November 1551, when he was moved to the house of Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely.
He was presented by the queen to the living of All Saints, Bread Street, London; a few days later Bonner collated him to the prebend of Chiswick in St Paul's; and by letters patent, dated 4 October the same year, he was appointed a canon of the collegiate chapel of St. George at Windsor.
On 28 November 1554 the lord mayor and aldermen in scarlet, and the commons in their liveries, assembled in St. Paul's, where Chedsey preached in the presence of the Bishop of London and nine other prelates, and read a letter from the queen's council, directing the Bishop of London to cause the Te Deum' to be sung in all the churches of his diocese, with continual prayers for the queen, who had conceived.
On 10 October 1556 Chedsey was collated to the archdeaconry of Middlesex, and by letters patent, 18 June 1557, he was nominated by the king and queen to a canonry of Christ Church, Oxford.