Example of Grade 9 Essays for GCSE History (Edexcel)
- Look at how the student structures her work in a way that fully answers the questions
- Try to replicate this in your own essay
Explain why the Puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement (12 marks) – 12/12
MARK RESPONSE
, One reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement in the Vestment
controversy. Puritans, in effect, were extreme protestants. They wanted to preach the protestant
values and enforce them more than Elizabeth had at the time. Due to this, they wanted
vestments to be plain, in black and white, rather than colourful as they thought that colourful
vestments would distract religious people from the focus of church – worshipping and praying to
God. They also believed that wearing such a colourful vestment made them look superior to
those who prayed at the church. This challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement as they were
trying to enforce something that she had laid out in the act of Uniformity. This troubled her as
she wanted to stop it, but didn’t want her puritan followers to believe that she was favouring the
other religious groups. In the end, Elizabeth said that vestments must be worn, as said in the
Act of Uniformity, with no exceptions, and ordered her bishops to make sure this was happening
in all churches. Therefore, a reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement
was the vestment controversy.
Another reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement was the Act of
Uniformity. The Act of Uniformity effectively made vestments mandatory, introduced 12 pence
fines for recusants not attending churches and laid out a set plan for everything to be the same
in churches across England. The puritans challenged this in both the vestment and crucifix
controversies, by trying to change and go against this act. Puritans believed that everybody
must attend church but that vestments were too over the top – they thought the vestments were
too colourful and would distract people from praying and that it made people wearing the
vestments look more supreme. This was a challenge to her religious settlement as a group of
people were telling her she had to change it. Due to this challenge, she set out the Royal
Injunctions, which ordered her churchmen to make sure that the act of Uniformity and the act of
Supremacy were being carried out. Therefore, one reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s
religious settlement was the act of Uniformity.
A final reason why puritans once again challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement was the
crucifix controversy. Puritans believed that a symbol showing Jesus’ death was not acceptable
in the place they worship him. They thought it was not only cruel but extremely inhumane for it
to be on display. They also believed that churches should be plain and without decoration, and
that a crucifix went against this belief as it was often used for decoration in Churches. Elizabeth
felt like if she denied this and continued to use Crucifixes that the Puritans would think that
Elizabeth was favouring her Catholic followers, so gave up. She removed crucifixes from the Act
of Uniformity so the churches didn’t have one, but insisted on keeping the crucifix in the Church
of England. Therefore, one reason why puritans once again challenged Elizabeth’s religious
settlement was the crucifix controversy
- Look at how the student structures her work in a way that fully answers the questions
- Try to replicate this in your own essay
Explain why the Puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement (12 marks) – 12/12
MARK RESPONSE
, One reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement in the Vestment
controversy. Puritans, in effect, were extreme protestants. They wanted to preach the protestant
values and enforce them more than Elizabeth had at the time. Due to this, they wanted
vestments to be plain, in black and white, rather than colourful as they thought that colourful
vestments would distract religious people from the focus of church – worshipping and praying to
God. They also believed that wearing such a colourful vestment made them look superior to
those who prayed at the church. This challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement as they were
trying to enforce something that she had laid out in the act of Uniformity. This troubled her as
she wanted to stop it, but didn’t want her puritan followers to believe that she was favouring the
other religious groups. In the end, Elizabeth said that vestments must be worn, as said in the
Act of Uniformity, with no exceptions, and ordered her bishops to make sure this was happening
in all churches. Therefore, a reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement
was the vestment controversy.
Another reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement was the Act of
Uniformity. The Act of Uniformity effectively made vestments mandatory, introduced 12 pence
fines for recusants not attending churches and laid out a set plan for everything to be the same
in churches across England. The puritans challenged this in both the vestment and crucifix
controversies, by trying to change and go against this act. Puritans believed that everybody
must attend church but that vestments were too over the top – they thought the vestments were
too colourful and would distract people from praying and that it made people wearing the
vestments look more supreme. This was a challenge to her religious settlement as a group of
people were telling her she had to change it. Due to this challenge, she set out the Royal
Injunctions, which ordered her churchmen to make sure that the act of Uniformity and the act of
Supremacy were being carried out. Therefore, one reason why puritans challenged Elizabeth’s
religious settlement was the act of Uniformity.
A final reason why puritans once again challenged Elizabeth’s religious settlement was the
crucifix controversy. Puritans believed that a symbol showing Jesus’ death was not acceptable
in the place they worship him. They thought it was not only cruel but extremely inhumane for it
to be on display. They also believed that churches should be plain and without decoration, and
that a crucifix went against this belief as it was often used for decoration in Churches. Elizabeth
felt like if she denied this and continued to use Crucifixes that the Puritans would think that
Elizabeth was favouring her Catholic followers, so gave up. She removed crucifixes from the Act
of Uniformity so the churches didn’t have one, but insisted on keeping the crucifix in the Church
of England. Therefore, one reason why puritans once again challenged Elizabeth’s religious
settlement was the crucifix controversy
