KETOCTON PRIMITIVE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION
ARTICLES OF FAITH

Adopted at organization of the Ketocton Association August 19, 1776,
and reaffirmed by this Association exactly 200 years later,
August 19, 1966.

1. We believe there is one living and true God; that he is self- existent
and independent, in whom all power, wisdom, holiness, justice,
godliness and truth center; who is omniscient and omnipotent - the
Almighty Creator of all things that do exist, visible and invisible,
who upholds and governs all things by His providential hand,
according to the council of His own will.

2. That in the divine essence there are (according to the scripture)
three persons or subsistences, distinguished by the relative names
of Father, Son and Holy Ghost; and that each subsistence possesses
proper Deity; that the work of creation is ascribed to them; divine
worship is addressed to each of them; each of them is called by
divine names and in the name of Three in One, the New Testament
ordinances are to be administered.

3. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the
word of God; that they were given by divine inspiration, and that
this system of revelation comprehends everything necessary for
us to know concerning God, and the direction of our obedience to
Him. By this divine book, God hath made revelation of His
gracious design in saving poor sinners, and pointing out the way
through the mediation of the Lord Jesus; that through the
instrumentality of this sacred word, that stubborn and obstinate
sinners are brought into the ordinances of faith, and the incorrigible
left without excuse; and that by this word of the Lord all men shall
be judged in the last day.

4. That man was created upright, free from sin, and possessed with
holiness in nature; that he fell from that innocent state in which
he was created, be transgressing God's command, by which he
became morally dead, and subjected himself to bodily and eternal
death, and as a public head involved his unborn progeny in like
ruin, for all descending from him by ordinary generation are born
in a state of pollution, and under the domination of sin, and
guilty before God.

5. That in eternity, God, out of His own good pleasure, chose a
certain number of Adam's progeny to eternal life, and that He
did not leave the accomplishment of His decrees to accident or
chance; but decreed all the means to bring about the event;
therefore they are chosen to salvation, through sanctification of the
Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Their calling was decreed to the purpose of election. It is said, when
called, they are called according to His purpose and grace given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began; and all in order to manifest
the glory of His grace.

6. That the covenant of redemption was between the Father and the
Son, that the elect were given by the Father to the Son, to be
redeemed and finally saved; and that the Son, as Head and
representative of His people, engaged to perform everything
necessary or requisite to carry their complete salvation into
effect. It is called in scripture, a well ordered covenant in all
things, and sure.

7. That in the fullness of time, the Son of God was manifested, by
taking human nature into union with His divine person, in which
capacity He wrought out a righteousness for the justification of His
people, yielding a perfect and spotless obedience to all the
requirements of the divine law, and submitted Himself to the
shameful and ignominious death on the cross, as an atonement for
their sins, and reconciliation of their souls to God.

8. That those that are redeemed by Christ, are in due time called
to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus - embracing Him
as the only way to God and Savior of poor sinners. This
effectual calling is accomplished by the agency of the Holy Ghost
operating in a free, irresistible and unfrustrable manner,
by which the understanding is enlightened and the
will subjected to Christ. Hence the scriptures testify that they
are made willing in the day of His power. This eternal change or
new birth in the soul is wholly ascribed to the Power of God; for it
is said of the regenerate, they are begotten of God, quickened of
God, born of God - all expressive that it is the Lord's work, and
He is entitled to the praise.

9. All that are effectually called by efficacious grace, are fully justified
of God. This perfect obedience, or in other words, the righteousness
of Christ being imputed to them, their sins are pardoned, and their
persons accepted in God's beloved Son. Such are taken under the
care of the great Sheppard of souls, and rest on the infallible promises
and power of God, which has engaged to protect them under all their
trials; to succor them when tempted; to supply all their needs, and
withhold no good thing from them; to continue the good work of grace
begun in them, and crown the end of their faith in the complete
salvation of their souls.

10. That being bought with the precious blood of Christ, and called by
rich grace, it becomes a bounden duty to walk in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord; although justified
by grace, to which our works can add nothing, yet by good works the
declarative glory of God is manifested, and the genuineness of faith
proved, which while others behold, they may be led to glorify
God who is in heaven.

11. And lastly, that God will judge men and angels in the last day, by
Jesus Christ. That when Christ appears in the clouds of heaven
with the sound of the trumpet, the dead saints shall be raised
incorruptible and reunited to their soul; then shall they, together
with the living saints, be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; and
so shall they be forever with the Lord. The wicked will be raised
likewise in that sinful state in which they died; and never having
been regenerated and qualified by grace for the kingdom of heaven,
will be sentenced to unspeakable torments, for ever and ever, from
which there will be no recovery, to endless duration.

These Articles or Principles, of Faith, were supported and defended by
such ministers as Elders Jeremiah Moore, James Ireland, William and
Daniel Fristoe, David Thomas, John Alderson; and more recently by
Elders John Clark, W. S. Athey, Dr. C. H. Waters, T. N. Alderton,
T. S. Dalton, and many others.