In this portion of our website, I will present various articles that I hope readers will find interesting and educational. Hopefully a new one each (calendar) month. Most, if not all articles will not be my own creation, so I will indicate my source of information.
THE CHISEL
The Chisel is the last of the three working tools of the First Degree, and rightly so, because the Chisel should never leave our hand. As our ritual tells us: “the Chisel points out the advantages of education, by which means alone we are rendered fit members of every civilised society”. “Points out the advantages of education” — and is that not the whole theme of the Second Degree? There we are exhorted to extend our researches into the hidden mysteries of nature and science. “Science” in that use is the ancient word for knowledge, and education is the acquisition of knowledge, the way to which lies up the Winding Staircase. As the workman, with the aid of a chisel gives form and regularity to the shapeless mass of stone, so education by cultivating ideas and polishing rude thoughts transforms the ignorant savage into the civilised being.
The Chisel furthermore demonstrates the advantages of discipline. The mind like the diamond in its original state is unpolished, but by grinding away the external coat we are enabled to discover the latent beauty of the stone. Thus education discovers the latent beauties of the mind, and draws them forth to range over the field of matter and space in order to display the summit of human knowledge, our duty to God and man.
After drawing the candidate’s attention to the Chisel, we then exhort him to make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge. He is then ready for the Second Degree.
This months issue of Masonic Education is courtesy of the internet Website – PIETRE-STONES REVIEW OF FREEMASONRY – FREEMASONS-FREEMASONRY.COM
I thank our Webmaster for allowing me to continue in contributing to the Masonic Education portion of the website.
R.W. Bro. Robert South