new church life: jan uary/february 2015
acquiring copies of the Photolithographs of Swedenborg’s original manuscripts
in the Academy of Sciences in Sweden. Swedenborg would never have gotten
a prize for handwriting; most of the committee members found the copies
unreadable. To do him justice, Swedenborg did make acceptable “fair copies”
for the printers; but they stayed with them so we only have his rough copies.
Swedenborg was naturally in a hurry to get his message down and –
expecting a fair copy later on – was not bothered about the legibility of first
drafts. However, Philip Johnson’s eye for the intricacies of handwriting meant
that he soon got the hang of Swedenborg’s scrawl and became an expert at
reading his manuscripts. When the Swedenborg Society decided to publish
the much-needed new Latin edition of Arcana Coelestia he was employed as
full-time editor, to combine the apparent best wording from the manuscripts
and printed texts.
That was a very indirect result of the Alfred Johnson seed, but there were
to be more obvious fruits. Serving in the Swedenborg Society, Philip Johnson
was to rub shoulders with other Academy sympathizers. Also working in the
translation committee was the Rev. William H. Acton – always known as “W.
H.,” elder brother of the better known Dr. Alfred Acton – who was revising the
Spiritual Diary.
W. H. Acton was English but had finished his ministerial training at the
Academy in Philadelphia. He was ordained into the ministry of the General
Convention and took up a pastorate in Glenview, Illinois, about 1896. Within
a year, however, the Pennsylvania Association and Glenview seceded from
the Convention to form the General Church. This was more than Acton had
bargained for. Much as he liked Academy ideas, he did not accept the General
Church’s theological position on the inspiration of the Word.
So in due course Acton returned to England. He now had a growing
family and was concerned that they should have a New Church education, and
so went to live near Michael Church. He was unable to find a paid pastorate in
London, but became a member of the Kensington Society, as he much admired
its pastor the Rev. J. F. Buss, who promoted a very positive approach to the
Writings. He had to take a teaching post, but spent much of his time with
Swedenborg Society interests.
Also on the translation committee was the Rev. Eugene Schreck, who was
not only Acton’s brother-in-law but had a similar life story. He had actually
taught in the Academy in Pennsylvania, but had defected to Convention, yet
ended up in Conference with a pastorate in Birmingham. However, Schreck
is best known for launching the Summer School at Purley Chase near
Birmingham.
Although “universal” education originally had been introduced by
both Anglicans and Non-Conformists (with a significant Swedenborgian
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