NM Freemason
← The Antient and Modern Split

Chapter 36 · Study

The Antient and Modern Split

Print study sheet Read first, then practise.

Vocabulary · 6

Moderns
The nickname given (in retrospect) to the Premier Grand Lodge of 1717. The name was applied by their rivals, who held that the Premier Grand Lodge had "modernized" certain ceremonial practices away from older usage.
Antients
A rival Grand Lodge organized in London in 1751, claiming to preserve more ancient ceremonial usages than the Premier Grand Lodge. Spelled with an "i" ("Antients") to distinguish them.
Laurence Dermott
The Antients' Grand Secretary for many decades. Wrote their book of constitutions, the Ahiman Rezon. His sharp pen and ceremonial conservatism shaped Antient identity through the 18th century.
Ahiman Rezon
The Antient Grand Lodge's published book of constitutions (first edition 1756). Distinct from Anderson's Constitutions. Many American Grand Lodges (PA notably) inherited their constitutional language from Ahiman Rezon, not from Anderson.
Union of 1813
The two English Grand Lodges merged on 27 December 1813, forming the United Grand Lodge of England. The Act of Union reconciled ceremonial differences and set the standard form of English Masonry that most regular jurisdictions inherit today.
Inheritance in America
Many American Grand Lodges descend from Provincial Grand Lodges chartered by either the Moderns or the Antients before the Union, and some from both. The mixed inheritance shows up in regional ceremonial differences that still persist today.

Practice questions · 4

  1. Which body was nicknamed the 'Moderns'?

    • a. The Antient Grand Lodge of 1751
    • b. The Premier Grand Lodge of 1717 ✓
    • c. The United Grand Lodge of 1813
    • d. The Grand Lodge of New Mexico

  2. What was the rival Grand Lodge formed in 1751 called?

    • a. The Ancient Lodge
    • b. The Antients ✓
    • c. The Original Lodge
    • d. The Free Grand Lodge

  3. What was the published constitutions book of the Antient Grand Lodge?

    • a. Anderson's Constitutions
    • b. The Ahiman Rezon ✓
    • c. The Regius Constitutions
    • d. The Schaw Code

  4. In what year did the two English Grand Lodges unite?

    • a. 1751
    • b. 1791
    • c. 1813 ✓
    • d. 1843