Guide to the George Augustus Lofton Papers, 1784-1941
[top]Descriptive Summary
TitleGeorge Augustus Lofton Papers, 1784-1941
Creator
Lofton, George Augustus, 1839-1914
Extent
14.2 Linear Feet
1800 Items
Repository
1800 Items
Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library
Language
English.
[top]
Administrative Information
Access RestrictionsCollection is open for research.
However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in the Lofton Papers have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], The Papers of George Augusts Lofton, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.
Provenance
The George Augustus Lofton Papers (1874-1941) were purchased by the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library in 1989.
Processing Information
Processed by: John Gribble; Assisted by: Alex Byrd, Brent Johanson, Rachel Pottinger
Completed November 15, 1993
Encoded by Stephen Douglas Miller
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
[top]
Biographical Note
| 1839, Dec. 25 | Born, Panola County, Miss. |
| 1861 - 1865 | Served in the Confederate States of America, 9th Georgia Battalion Artillery |
| 1865- 1867 | Principal, Wade Academy, Webster County, Ga. |
| 1867- 1868 | Admitted to bar; practiced at Americus, Ga. |
| 1868- 1869 | Ordained Baptist minister; pastor of several country churches in Georgia |
| 1870- 1872 | Pastor, Dalton, Ga. |
| 1871 | A.M., Mercer University, Ga. |
| 1872-1877 | Pastor, First Church, Memphis, Tenn. |
| 1873-1876 | President, Southern Baptist Publishing Society |
| 1877-1884 | Pastor, Third Church, St. Louis, Mo. |
| 1880 | D.D., Baylor University (Tex.) |
| 1885-1887 | Pastor, Talladega, Ala. |
| 1888 | Pastor, Central Church, Nashville, Tenn. |
| 1889 |
Moderator, Nashville Association of Baptist Churches
President, State Board Missions, Tenn.
Authored Character Sketches
|
| 1897 | Authored Harp of Life |
| 1899 | Authored Baptist Reformation, 1611-1641, A.D. |
| 1900 | LL.D., University of Nashville |
| 1902 | Authored The Master Wheel |
| 1914, Dec.11 | Died |
Collection Overview
The George Augustus Lofton Papers span the years 1874-1941, although the bulk of the material dates from 1875-1900. They consist of correspondence, writings and sermons, clippings, book reviews, and printed materials. The collection principally relates to Lofton's career as a Baptist minister serving churches in Dalton, Gal; Memphis, Tenn. (First Church); St. Louis, Mo. (Third Church); Talladega, Ala.; and Nashville, Tenn. (Central Church). The collection mostly contains handwritten sermons and sermon notes, and includes little family or personal material, although a few family letters are in the Correspondence Series. The Correspondence Series, however, primarily contains letters critiquing Lofton's works, Review of the Question and Bible Thoughts and Themes. The Writings and Speeches Series documents Lofton's intellectual growth throughout his career as author and minister. This series also contains Lofton's published text, Character Sketches (1890), and a manuscript draft of his autobiography titled,
"My Family Garden."
Lofton's sermons and sermon notes track both his spiritual development and writing skills throughout the years of his ministry. The sermon notes reveal his views on slavery, capital punishment, and foreign mission work. The Printed Materials Series includes published brochures and sermons written by Lofton and others, 1881-1914. The Miscellaneous Series contains an assortment of items from 1873-1940 including Lofton family photographs and other materials. Included are items pertaining to Baptist minister George Law Stewart and Dr. Adiel Sherwood.
[top]
Subject Headings
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.
- Sherwood, Adiel, 1791-1879.
- Stewart, George L.
- Mission--sermons.
- Authors, American--Southern States.
- Baptists--Clergy.
- Sermons--Baptist.
- Slavery--United States--Emancipation.
- Capital punishment--southern.
 | List of Series in Collection | |||||||
 |  | Correspondence Series, 1877-1921, undated | ||||||
| | Writings and Speeches Series, 1870-1900, undated | ||||||
 | | Miscellaneous Series | ||||||
Detailed Description of Collection
Correspondence Series, 1877-1921, undated
1877-1921,
undated
Writings and Speeches Series, 1870-1900, undated
Manuscripts Subseries
Character Sketches,
1890
Draft,
"My Family Garden,"
undated
Sermons Subseries
A - Accountability
Box 2
Acquaintance - Address
Address - All Important
The All Important Question
All in All - Always
American - Angel's
Answer - Atheistic
Atonement - Awakened
Box 3
B - Baptist
Baptist Faith - Barren Fig
The Baptist Trophy, 1876
Bearing Each - Besetting Son
Best You Can - Bible Doctrine
Bible in the Public Schools - Bible Theory of Sanctification
Bible Thoughts and Themes for Young Men - Blessedness of Giving
Box 4
Blind Bartnaeus - Boodle and Whiskey
Bread of Life - By-path Meadow
Capital Punishment: The Law of God and Nature - Causal Things Without Effect
Causes of Spiritual Declension - Child likeness: the Condition of Entrance Into God's Kingdom
Christ at the Door - Christ the Door
Christ, the Only Personal... - Christ's Example of Activity
Christian Charity - The Christian's High Vocation
Box 5
The Christian's Prize - Church Independence
Church of the Living God - Church Sunday Entertainment
The Cities of Refuge - The Coming of Christ
The Coming Empire - Communion with Christ
The Compassion of Christ - The Condition of Revival
Conditions of Spiritual Prosperity - Conscience
Consistency - Crime and Misfortune of Ignorance
Box 6
The Crisis of the Cross - The City of Despair
Crystallizing Force of Habit - David's Sin
David's Sins - Death and Judgment
Debit Without Credit - The Devil as an Angel of Light
The Devil's Shake - Did Christ Come to Save the Gentiles
Dignity and Moral Effect of Work - The Divine Purchase
The Divine Evolution - The Divine Pastoral of Ruth
Box 7
The Divine Signet - Doing and Knowing
The Doodle bug - The Drunkard Maker
Ecclesiastical Obedience to Pastoral Rule - Efficient Service
The Efficiency of the Spirit - Elijah and the Ravens
Elijah No. 1 - Eloquence: A Virtue
The Exhalation of Joseph - The Endowment of the Holy Spirit
Box 8
Ephraim Joined to his Idol - Essentials to Cross Bearing
Esther's Faith and Courage - Eternity
The Eternity of Hell - Everybody's Doing It
Evidence of Genuineness - Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ
Existing Errors Regarding Immorality and the Future State - Faith the Only Medium of Grace
Faith, the Result of Ordination - Faithful in Little Things
The Faithful Saying - The Fall of Satan
Box 9
The Family Alter - A Fast Young Man
Fatal Fall and Final Triumph of Man - The Final Triumph
Final Fixedness of Habit - The First Great Victory
The Fixed Heart - Forgetting the Things Behind
Forgiveness - The Fountain and Issues of Life
Box 10
The Friend of Publicans and Sinners - The Fruitfulness of Death
Full Assurance - The Fullness of Christ 3
The Fullness of Christ 4 - Future Punishment
Future Reward and Punishment Alike Eternal - The Glory of the Cross
The Glory of the Cross - Go Forward
God a Consuming Fire - God's Good Things
God's Goodness a Motive to Repentance - God's Kingdom and Righteousness First
Box 11
God's Ownership and Service - God's Peculiar People
God's People - The Golden Calf
Our Golden Calves - Gospel Fishing
The Gospel Fountain - The Grace of Compromise
The Grace of Liberality - The Great Advocate
The Great Commandment - Great is Diana of the Epliesiaus
The Great Invitation - The Great Salvation
Box 12
The Great Salvation - The Great Supper
The Greatest Wrong - Habitual Drinking
Habitual Drinking and It's Remedy - The Half Has Never Been Told
The Hardship of Sin - Heaven
Heavenly Citizenship - Heredity
The High Rock - The Honor Christ
Box 13
Hope - How to Build the Church
How to Convert Sinners - I Gave My Life for Thee
Ignored and Discarded - Immortality
Immorality-Natural - Immortality Typical II
Immutability of God's Love in Christ - The Impotency of the Sword
The Incompatible Witness - Inferences from the Breckenridge Trial
Insecurity - Isaiah's Fig Potilla
Box 14
The Jesus of the Age - Is There at Hell...
Is There a True Christianity in the World To Day - John the Baptist
John's Gospel - Joseph the Dreamer
Joshua's Decided Religion - The Judgment
Judicial Blindness - Knowing the Unknowable, Measuring the Immeasurable
The Knowledge of Christ - The Last Enemy
Box 15
The Last Enemy is Ours
The Last Judgment - Lessons From the 1st Miracle
Lessons From the Valley of the Dead - Liberty: the Genius of Christianity
Liberty, Part 1 - The Light of God's Countenance
The Lilly in the Bag - Loathing God's Lightbread
Box 16
Dr. Lofton's 19th Anniversary - The Lord's Supper
Loss of Moral Resistance - Lot's Temptation
Lot's Wife - The Love of Christ...Part 2
The Love of Christ... - Love's Epitome
Love's Labor Not Lost - Man's Fearful and Wonderful Being
Man's First Commission - Marriage
Box 17
Me - The Messicaic Symbolism of Great Pyramid
Microscopic Observations - The Mighty Minority
Mighty to Save - The Miracle of the (?) Demoniacs and Il-Lessions
A Miraculous Deliverance - Mission of John the Baptist
The Missionary Zeal of Christianity - Modern Paganism
Modern Perils - More to Follow
Box 18
The Mother and the Model Child - Municipal Righteousness
Murder and Capital Punishment - Nashville Under the Electric Laugh
Nashville's Stumbling Blocks - Nelson Merry Memorial
The New Creature - Ninth Anniversary Sermon
No Other Name - Non-Resistance as a Force
Not Ashamed of the Gospel - Now
Box 19
Obedience - One Thing Needful
The Only Religion of Life... - The Only Way
Opportune Activity - Our Home Mission Resources
Our Institutions of Vice - Our Superior Righteousness
Our Sympathetic High Priest - Parable of the Talents
Passover - Paul at Antioch
Paul at Melita - Paul in Rome
Box 20
Paul in Shipwreck - Paul's Encouragement at Corinth
Paul's Good Fight - Paul's Metaphors
Paul's Metaphors
(2 folders)
Paul's Metaphors - A Peculiar People
The Penitent's Prayer - Perfection
Box 21
Perfection - Perseverance of All Saints
Personal Effort - Peter's Confession
Peter's Deliverance - The Philosophy of Fear
The Philosophy of Prayer - Possibilities of Faith
Possibilities Without Culture - Power of Religious Education
The Power of the Holy Ghost - Prayer
The Preacher in Politics - Prejudice
Box 22
Preservation of All Saints - Procrastination
Procrastination of Felix - The Province of Faith
The Province of the Sword - The Real Presence
Reasoning Together - Relation of Christianity to Law and Order
Religion and Crime - The Religious Memories of the Confederate Soldier
Remarkable Conversations: Cornelius Remarkable Conversations: Saul
Box 23
Remarkable Conversations: Simon Magus - The Rending of the Veil
The Rending Veil - Respect for the Sacred
Responsibility According to Ability - Resurrection f Lazarus
Revitalization - That Richmond Ring
Box 23
The Rights of Property - Running Against Hindrances
Ruth - The Safety of Loyalty
Salvation and Security - Sanctification
Box 24
Saul a Persecutor - Saved by Water
Saving Others, Not Himself - Science Falsely so Called
Scriptural Figures Illustrative of the Spirit's Coming and Work - Seeking God While He May be Found
Seeking and Saving the Lost - The Self Confident Fool
Self Consecration Part 1 - Self Denial
Self-Denial - The Seven Beatitudes
The Shepard and the Sheep - The Sin of Ignorance
Box 25
The Sin Unto Death - The Sinner's Self-Judgment
The Smitten Rock - Solomon, a type of Christ
The Somewhat and the Few Things Which Ruin Churches - Southern Baptist Convention
Soul Winning as a Vocation - The Spirit of Christ
The Spirit Power - The Stone Before the Spulchur
The Stone Ezel - Submission
Box 26
Succession - Sunday Schools
Sunday Visitation - The Sy (?) Woman
Symmetrical Development
Taffy - The Test of Fidelity
The Test Question - Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Box 27
Thanksgiving - Things Settled
Thinking and Believing - Through Death to Life
The Thought That Turns - To Day
Tomorrow - Training of Children
The Trail of Christ - Trial of Abram's Faith
The Trinity of Graces - My Trip to Europe 3
Box 28
The Triumphant Cross - Trust In God
The Truth as in Jesus - the Two Ways
The Unanswerable Argument - Universal Dominion of Christ
The Universality of Missions - The Unrighteous Mammon
Unused Forces Among Southern Baptist - the Value of the Soul
The Value of Time - Vanity Fair
Verily! Verily! - the Voice of Conscience
Box 29
The Wages of Sin - Walking on the Sea
A Wasted Life - The Way, The Truth, The Life
The Way to Have More - The Weeping Christ
Weeping Mothers of Jerusalem - On What Side Are You?
Box 29
What Shall the Harvest Be - Where Are We?
Where Are We? - Where Are We in Society?
Where Are We In Discipline - The Whole Bunch Sin Offering
Box 30
Why Do I Do Right - Without Excuse
The Witness of Christ - Work
The Work of a Decade - Worldliness and Its Remedy
The World's Christmas - The Young Man and His Difficulties
The Young Man and His Success - The Youth of Saul
Sermons, untitled
(2 folders)
Box 31
Sermons, untitled
(6 folders)
Sermon Notes Subseries
Account of Francis Baupfield - Attraction of the Cross
Baptism - Business
Calling and Use of Men - The Citizenship of Freedom
The Cleansing Blood - Deeper Water
The Deity and Supremacy of Christ - Driving nails for God
Box 33
The Easy Yoke and the Light Burden - Falling Into God's Hands Unprepared
The Fear of Opportunity - The Glory of the Cross
The Golden Calf - House Missions
Hope of the Godless - Is Life Worth Living
The Issues of Life - Liberty
Life Insurance - Millennium
Box 34
Ministerial Relief - Our Bethels
Our High Calling - Prayer
Predestination - The Reasonable Hope
The Reign of God - The Sin Unto Death
Sliding from God - The Sunrise of Christianity
Box 35
The Temporal and the Eternal - The Two Mays
The Unattained - What Baptists Stand For
What is Prayer - The World for Christ
Miscellaneous, undated
Miscellaneous Series
Printed Material,1881 - 1914,
undated
Box 36
Clippings,1889 - 1920s,
undated
Legal Papers and Family Photographs
General,1873 - 1912,
undated
Sherwood, Dr. Adiel,
undated
Stewart, George L.,
1918-1940,
undated
