What did the Antients and the Moderns actually disagree about?

The dispute between the Premier Grand Lodge (the "Moderns," founded in 1717) and the rival Grand Lodge established in 1751 (the "Antients") turned on ritual usage, degree structures, religious framing, and administrative authority.

Regarding ritual practice, the Moderns altered the traditional arrangement of the First and Second Degrees, whereas the Antients preserved the older order 3. Furthermore, while the Moderns initially disavowed or ignored the Royal Arch, the Antients insisted upon it as the natural completion of the Third Degree, bridging Craft and Royal Arch Masonry 3.

The two bodies also diverged over religious character. In compiling the 1723 Constitutions for the Moderns, James Anderson removed explicit Christian references in favor of a universal phrasing centered on the "Great Architect of the Universe" 1. Laurence Dermott, leading the Antients, strongly opposed this shift, keeping the Antients explicitly Christian in their Book of Constitutions, *Ahiman Rezon* 2. The Antients favored the 1738 version of the First Charge with its stronger Christian allusions, while the Moderns adhered to the 1723 wording 1. The Antients viewed the Moderns' modifications as an improper removal of traditional Christian elements in favor of Old Testament symbolism 1.

Administrative hostilites further deepened the schism. Modern officers explicitly denied charitable assistance to Antient brethren on the grounds that their society did not recognize the Royal Arch or Antient working 34. The Modern Grand Lodge also censured its own subordinate lodges, such as the lodge at the Ben Jonson's Head, when they practiced Antient rituals or excluded Modern visitors 4.

As the United Grand Lodge of England notes on its website, the two bodies operated side by side for nearly 63 years before uniting in 1813.

The source named below is not among the works in my library. I named it from memory rather than by consulting it, so it may be online or in print elsewhere. What it says may well be right — please check it at the source. “As the United Grand Lodge of England notes on its website, the two bodies operated side by side for nearly 63 years before uniting in 1813.”

Laurence Dermott argued the case for the Antients Grand Lodge primarily by authoring its Book of Constitutions, titled Ahiman Rezon, first published in 1756 35. In Craft Masonry, he presented the Antients as the true preservers of original usage, while branding the older Premier Grand Lodge as "Moderns" who had departed from the ancient landmarks 32. Through satire and polemical writings, Dermott criticized the Moderns for altering established customs, such as transposing ritual elements and discontinuing the traditional ceremony for installing a Lodge Master 3.

Dermott also kept religious framing at the center of the dispute. He incorporated distinctively Christian sentiments into the documents of the Antients, which by implication made the Moderns appear anti-religious 2. In terms of degree structure, he asserted that ancient Craft Masonry was incomplete without the Royal Arch, framing it as the natural completion of the Master Mason Degree—a complement he claimed the Moderns had ignored or forgotten 3. As Hughan observes, Dermott further argued in the 1778 edition of Ahiman Rezon that the Antients shared identical customs and usages with the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland, whereas the Moderns differed materially from Masons across the globe 5.

The 1723 Constitutions research project notes that Dermott used the introduction and commentary of Ahiman Rezon to publicize Antients Freemasonry and advance its claim to greater antiquity and superior ritual practice. The Association of Atholl Lodges highlights that the work was issued in a convenient pocket size, allowing Dermott's arguments to circulate widely and establish the constitutional foundation for Antients bodies in Britain and overseas 35.

The Articles of Union, signed in November 1813 and ratified on December 27, 1813, established the United Grand Lodge of England, bringing to an end the decades-long schism between the Antients and the Moderns 3. The treaty resolved long-standing disputes over ritual authority, degree structures, and administrative precedence.

Central to the agreement was the status of the Royal Arch within Craft Masonry 3. The second article formally defined pure Antient Masonry as consisting of three degrees—Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason—while explicitly including the Holy Royal Arch 3. The Articles settled that the Royal Arch belonged to Ancient Craft Masonry, but provided that its ceremonies be administered through a separate body or chapter 3. This paved the way for the Ancient and Modern Grand Chapters to amalgamate shortly thereafter in 1817 3.

To resolve liturgical differences between the two traditions, the agreement established mechanisms for ceremonial standardization. Preparation for this alignment had begun earlier when the Lodge of Promulgation was warranted in 1809 to investigate ancient landmarks 3. As detailed in research published by Quatuor Coronati Lodge, the Articles created a joint Lodge of Reconciliation to establish a uniform working and ensure lodge officers from both former Grand Lodges were obligationed on a single, standardized plan.

Administratively, the Articles united the governing authority under a single Grand Master—the Duke of Sussex—and resolved the relative order of lodges on the new roll by drawing lots, establishing a unified numerical hierarchy for all subordinate bodies.

The source named below is not among the works in my library. I named it from memory rather than by consulting it, so it may be online or in print elsewhere. What it says may well be right — please check it at the source. “As detailed in research published by Quatuor Coronati Lodge, the Articles created a joint Lodge of Reconciliation to establish a uniform working and…”