THE DECLARATION OF CAPTAIN ALEXANDER CHARTERS, Brother of the House of AIMSFIELD, written and subscribed by himself in Prison, and delivered, and read publicly at his Execution at EDINBURGH, the 21. of June, 1650.  
Wherein God's great mercy was seen in Reclaiming him from such a course, wherein many perished.  PROV. 28. 13. 
He that covereth his sin shall not prosper, But he that confesseth and forsaketh, shall find mercy.  
EDINBURGH, Printed by Evan Tyler, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1650.   

FOR THE CHRISTIAN READER.  
THis great and glorious work of Reformation, both been promoving upon the wheels of God's Providence thirteen years; The Lord who is omnipotent, could h●v● done all as perfectly at once, as in the duration and successio● of many ages, yet is he rat●er plea●ed by gradual accesses, to ●romo●e his own operat●ons to the period of their perfect accomplishment. The Lord continued the great work of his first Creation six days, when he might have done it as soon as he raised Lazarus out of the grace, by the word of his mouth. The Lord might have finished this great and g●orious work of Reformation at the ending of the twenty seventh of Ju●y, 1637 But that his long contesting with the contumacy of obstinate men, might make mu●h more for the manifestation of his power and glory, by so many wonders, changes, and battles, as also to show his unconceavable love and free mercy in Jesus Christ, towards his poor long-suffering covenanted people by their so many strange deliverances, A●d then to show forth the gl●ry of his Justice in the great variety of his Judgements upon so many obstinate opposers of this glorious w●rk, who now by their obstin to resisting the work of the Lord, have gotten the name of Malignants. Whose hearts at yet God ha●dens and makes fat, and their ears heavy, and shuts their eyes, lest they should s●e, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart●, and so convert and be healed; sensual eyes and ears, with strength of natural parts they lack not: But illumination, and a spiritual apprehension of the use of God's great works, and of the way of his dispensation, in order to his own ends, they perceive, see, nor know not. That it may evide●t●y appear, that all the wonders that can he wroug●t before their ey●s, without the work of grace will nev●r avail for man's conversion; such is the obstinacy of men, that they will not consider the sinfulness of their sin, in their ●aring so to oppose the w●rk of the Lord: they conceive not how near their sin is unto that sin which is unto death, 1 Joh. 5. 16 When as poor silly curs they bark against heaven, the Saints, and the bright Sun of righteousness, when Es●u-like, mocking not only the po●r in heart, but the King of Saints himself, wh● when he calls and knocks, str●tching out his arms daily: they will not hear, and Phar●oh-like, have their refuge to the arm of flesh, n●t considering that the holy Covenant, is as oil among the liquours which will ever be upmost, they will not be cured; they will not believe, but still practise against the holy Covenant with gnashing of teeth, and when they have laid their account by their laborious policy, to bring ●bott ●he●r own ends, they sha●l in end find, that they shall bring about nothing but God's purpose● t● their own confusion, and the lamentable ruin of their estates and houses How rare a thing is it to see amongst them a since●e convert; in what a deplorable and Christl●sse way go they to Scaffol●s, without con●rition, fear, or trembling, but also as it were to a Stage play, scoffing and contemning the censures of the Church, and God's holy Ordinances, brainsick, and giddy, with too much drinking of strong waters, at the very periods and when they are about to enter in the very gulf of endless Eternity But he who is love itself, ●v●n the God of love; had tho●ghts of l●v● and mercy towards this truly Noble and H●ly man, Alexander Charters who did long follow the drove, of the perish●ng multitude, being long wrapped up in the guiltiness of ●alignancy: yet in him, the greatness of God's love and free mercy hath appeared, that the Lord hath still loved him, ev●n when he was burning and b●yling in his lusts, wh●n his h●art and his hand were both lifted up against Christ and his Saints, y●t hath the virgin's son overlooked all, and by this rare example of mercy, picked out this bla●k Swan, to make of a poor sinner a ●e●t Saint, and of a persecutor, a Preacher as may be seen by this under-writen Declaration, written and subscribed with his own hand, before Famous witness●s.   

The Declaration of Capt. ALEXANDER CHARTERS.  
GOod Christian people, God, in his wise providence, hath thought fit to make me an example of public justice a● this time, that all those who have not fallen, may be strengthened and confirmed in the way of truth, and others who have been, and are going on in those wicked courses, for the which now I am punished, may be reclaimed, which is that my soul doth desire, and shall pray the Lord to open the eyes of their understanding, that they may see the fearful guiltiness lies upon their souls, and the wrath of God hanging above their heads for the same, that so by sincere and speedy repentance they may turn unto the Lord, that the riches of his free grace may be evidenced in their conversion, that they may all be made partakers of that eternal life, which I trust through the merits of my Redeemer to be made partaker of, when this natural life that I have now to lay down shall be taken from me; And truly, I cannot enough magnify God's free love unto me, that he did not destroy me when I was in the height and heat of a sinful course, sighting against his cause, but hath reserved me unto this time, that the glory of his free love might be so much the more magnified and extolled: Which cause he hath so truly owned to be his own by so many evident and undeniable arguments, that I dare say the greatest enemy and opposer of the same, if he speak in conscience, and not wilfully blind fold his eyes, will say as much. For look back to the beginning of these troubles, and you shall clearly perceive that what ever was plotted or contrived against the Lord's people or his cause in this land, turned directly to the shame of the contrivers and plotters, and how the Lord hath rewarded the prime opposers, both churchmen and great politicians, to a great many of you is very well known. Secondly, look upon the prime undertakers employed against this work (I am bound in all charity, to believe that our late sovereign from whom they did purchase commission, is now with the Lord) were men more regarding their own private interest, than the glory of God, or the King's interest, which they had so much in their mouths; as was seen by the consequence in joining with, and giving Commissions to persons desperately sworn enemies and opposers to the true Reformed Religion, and how those men should have advanced the same, or been faithful to our King, professing the said Religion, I leave it to all indifferent religious and rational men to judge. And though the Lord suffered the Rod of those wicked men to lie upon the back of the righteous for a time, and that they did shed the blood of God's people like water, and made the fields and cities of this land to swim there with, yet at last how the Lord did over take those bloody Irishes, Papists, and others with his vengeance, and of late the prime undertakers, is not unknown to you all; For the which this land hath how reason to rejoice in the Lord, that the strength of the wicked and malignant party is how broken, and all their plots and machinations fully discovered: And the same Lord that hath delivered you from fear of the enemies within, will likewise deliver you from the great threatenings of the insulting enemies of the neighbour lands, If you prove thankful for this mercy and deliverance you have received, and keep close with God by adhering courageously to his cause and Covenant. I shall now crave pardon to speak a word concerning our now gracious King, whom I pray God bless with length of days, and put the wicked from about him, that his throne may be established in righteousness: And it is thus, that what Commissions have been granted by him, (nay I may rather say, extorted) against this nation, that the Subjects of this Kingdom may not conceive prejudice against him for the same, or think, that of his natural disposition he inclined to that course he was led upon, or that in any way he had, or hath thoughts against the good of Religion; No, God forbid you should thus think, but impute it rather to the cunning and malice of those who purchased them, and to the immaturity of his years, who at that time was too flexible to their counsels, For I dare boldly say, and am very hopeful, that if the Lord put faithful counsellors about him, he shall prove as gracious a King as ever ruled this Nation: You will pardon this my digression, I will now return to what concerns myself and present condition.  
Good People,  
You see me here ready to lay down my life by a just sentence of Parliament, I am an object for God's mercy and your prayers, The sentence for which I am now to receive this public punishment, was given forth against me, for joining with those desperately wicked enemies to Religion, of the which I was speaking just now; for the which I do not only stand guilty of temporal death by the law of this land; but also of the eternal wrath of God, without his free mercy in Christ Jesus my Redeemer, if I should be rewarded according to the merit of my offence; For how fearful a guiltiness lies upon my conscience (I will now glorify God by a confession, though I should bring shame upon myself) I shall now declare, that all those that hear me, may pray to the Lord to pardon this my public guiltiness, and all other my personal faults and offences which are past number, yet the Lord's mercy is above all his works, and through the blood of the New Covenant, I hope all those my sins shall be purged and washed away.  
When this land did first enter into Covenant with God, Anno, 1638. I did swear and subscribe the same, and did engage personally in the service in England the first year; But what a fearful defection I made, by joining afterward with the enemies of the doctrine and discipline, which I swore by that Covenant to maintain, and the breaking of my vows to God for personal Reformation, which I was likewise sworn unto, it is known to God and my own conscience, and not unknown to some here present. And truly I must ingenuously confess, and that with a sorrowful heart, that in all the courses I have been upon ever since, in opposition to that Covenant, there was ever reluctancy within, and some light of conscience checking me, which I bore down, and smothered by setting before my eyes worldly respects, as favour of Princes, and great men, and (that enemy to my salvation) the point of honour, never to relinquish a cause though never so bad; for which I do now acknowledge my unfeigned sorrow and repentance, and begs pardon at the Throne of Grace for this my guiltiness.  
And now I come to make known unto you, how Satan dealt with me when he drew me to this apostasy, and shall desire if there be any that are now my hearers, who are or have been covenant-breakers, may examine themselves, if the like way Satan hath used with them, that so they may repent, and those that have not falle●, may stand fast and be watchful by my example, to avoid such snares: And first before I made public defection from the cause, Satan got in upon me by seducing me to personal vices, in particular, drunkenness, and all other vices acompanying that, as whoredom, swearing, profane and filthy communication, lying, brawling and quarrelling, abuse of the creatures, nay in a word, from a rational creature to become worse than a beast; of all which vices and many more, occasioned by that sin, my soul is now guilty. Thus having begun to grow dissolute and profane in my life, by giving myself over to commit all manner of wickedness with wantonness and greediness, sin became so customary, as the conscience thereof was quite gone, I became careless of all religious duties, by profaning the Sabbath, neglecting all the public Ordinances of God's worship, as receiving the Sacrament, hearing of Sermons, public or private prayer, nay in a word, I became a contemner of the gospel, a despiser of God's servants, and a mocker of all that made conscience of religious duties, or walking strictly before God, so that Religion became a thing so indifferent unto me, that I could, and did go as frequently and more to mass, and to Idolatrous Churches, as to the reformed, when I was beyond the Sea; And at my return to England, for Common Prayer I made no scruple of it: being there, I joined myself with those parties that pretended for the King, and how wickedly I lived there, the Lord he knows, and grant me pardon for the same, for though naturally I inclined too much to wickedness, yet evil society helped it; when I had thus lived for a while, the Lord essayed to reclaim me by the Rod of Imprisonment, but in stead of making a sanctified use of that affliction, I became worse, and lived more dissolutely in Prison, than I had done before; so that my heart grew more and more hardened in wickedness. Being got free out of prison, in stead of returning to Scotland, as I was advised by my well wishers, I went back to Oxford, where I joined again to that party I had been formally with, but remaining there but some few months, I was engaged with Montrosse, he undertaking by his means, as he called it, to reduce Scotland to obedience But entering at Drumfreis, his stay was short, and his success not great, where I left him, and did never again see him, while he had with his bloody Irishes and others his wicked Associates, made havoc of the people of God in several conflicts: And after that deplorable fight of Kilsyth, Satan again enticed me to join with that wick●d crew, but the Lord did not suffer them long to prosper, in their wickedness, for what reward they received for their former cruelties and blood-sh●d, there may be some here were eye-witnesses: And for myself, The Lord again showed h●mselfe displeased with my ways, by making me prisoner, where I was kept in Sterling for a twelve month; but the civility I received there being such, and my liberty not much restrained, I did not take it as an affliction from God, never taking notice of God's hand or displeasure against me for opposing his cause; I being released from that easy restraint (I cannot call it imprisonment) returned to that place of the kingdom, where I had greatest interest: and after I had given a seeming satisfaction to the Church (I must ingenuously acknowledge the deceitfulness and hypocrisy of my own heart, for it was not cordial) I was after some conference with the ministry, admitted to subscribe the mutual League and Covenant. Truly, at that time I did it something unwillingly, not being desirous to join with those in England, I did conceive were enemies to monarchical Government, and no great friends to the person of our late King, as by woeful experience we have seen prove too true: yet though there be a wicked party now prevailing in England, who have shaken oft all fear of God, by subverting Religion, allowing of a detestable mixture of all Sects and Heresies, destroying the Lord's anointed our late sovereign, and keeping in exile our present King, overthrowing Monarchy, and in a word tolerating all atheism and profanity; yet I am confident there is a party in that kingdom, who makes conscience of that Covenant, and whom the Lord will at last raise up, though at present they be borne down by the tyranny of the Sectaries, and that God will make them and the faithful party of this land, instrumental for the re-establishing and restoring Religion in doctrine and discipline to that purity, which God in his word hath allowed, and (it shall be my prayer) our now gracious King to his just rights and inheritance.  
Thus when I had lived for a time in the country, making little conscience of performing either public or private duties to God, delighting more in the society of those who were no great friends to his cause, then in the faithful servants of God, or those made conscience to walk more strictly in their ways; At last I was engaged in that late dishonourable engagement in England; what success that had, and how the Lord showed his wrath against us, by rubbing dishonour upon our Nation, and punishment upon a great many both leaders and others, I need not to relate; And among the rest, the Lord did again afflict me with imprisonment; then, while the Rod was upon me, I began in some measure to humble myself before the Lord, and to seek him more earnestly, by making conscience both of public and private duties: and I was not wanting of making vows and promises, that if the Lord would then deliver me from that affliction, I should become a new creature, and forsake my former sinful courses; but alas, It proved but a hypocritical ●lash, for no sooner had the Lord removed his Rod, and restored me to my former liberty, but with the dog to the vomit, and the sow to the puddle, fell I back to my former sinful course of living. So returning from England, I went to Holland, vomiting out against the cause of God, and the persons who had the chief managing of affairs, both in State and Church, all the malicious invective railings, and bitter expressions that I could devise. And there again did I associate myself with James Grahame, he having purchased, or as I said before, rather extorted a Commission from this King to enter this kingdom, that he might be the only man, (as he would have made the world believe) to set the Crown upon his majesty's Head. But how the Lord hath disappointed his vain projects, by bringing him to this kingdom to make him a public example of justice, where he had been so instrumental in the shedding of the blood of God's people, is known to you all. And I cannot but acknowledge the great mercy of God to me in particular, who while I was in the late fight, where I was grievously wounded and taken prisoner, that the Lord did not destroy me as he did many others who fell by the sword, but hath reserved me to this time, where though I am to receive this temporal judgement for my body, yet my hope is, that he intends mercifully for my soul.  
Now the main things that are to be here observed, are, First God's deliverance of his people from the Rods of their oppressors, though it did lie upon them for a time, for some reasons seeming good to our only wise God. That so ye that are God's people of this land, who have faithfully adhered to his cause, may stand fast, and those who have the public managing of affairs in Church and State may prove faithful, and neither upon the one hand incline to that accursed course of Malignancy, which the Lord hath shown evidences of his wrath against so much; nor upon the other hand, to the associating, or any ways countenancing those Sectaries of the neighbour Kingdoms, enemies to Religion and all Government; But that all the Land, Rulers & people, would with their hearts & spirits, be thankful to the Lord for his former mercies, and seek him in sincerity in time coming without by-respects or ends, only having the glory of God, and the good of Religion before your eyes, and consequently, the King (then) will get what is due. This being done, fear not, but the Lord will deliver you from all your fears, (though they seem great) and get glory to himself, in the destruction of all those shall rise up against him; though they seem now to build on the high cliffs of the Rocks, and that the foundations they have laid are very strong, yet the Lord will let it be seen, who builds not upon him, the foundation is sandy, and the building shall not be of long continuance.  
The next thing I would have taken notice of, is, That all those of my kindred or acquaintance, and all others who ever have joined, or would join (if occasion should offer) against the cause of God, would take notice of God's judgements against all who have hitherto opposed his work; and how that he hath carried on the same in despite both of all public opposition, and all secret plotings and Machinations; Which things if they will lay to heart, and seriously consider, and seek in unto God by unfeigned repentance for their former guiltiness, and now prove themselves faithful at this nick of time, in standing for the maintenance of his truth, they may be sure to meet with a merciful God, who is slow to anger, long-suffering, and abounding in mercy: But after so much convincing light, and so clear evidences of the wrath of God against all the opposers of his truth, if they will still persevere in their former ways, and malice to God, his cause, and servants, they shall be sure, if God shall not overtake them with temporal judgements here; they shall not escape, without repentance, his everlasting wrath.  
The last thing which I shall now desire you to take notice of, is God's dealing with me in particular, who notwithstanding of the whole sinful course of my life which I have been relating, both in relation to public and personal guiltiness, hath dealt so mercifully with me. And I shall draw to a period by declaring how the Lord convinced my conscience of guiltiness. For being now this while by-past in prison, I began after some few days were spent, to run through some former passages of my life, and finding that I had twice relapsed, I conceived by the laws of this kingdom, I could expect nothing but death; yet being hopeful that friends would use all the ways they could for my safety, (which truly was not wanting). It did not much sink into my mind; yet finding all worldly means to fail, and that death was determined by a certain day (which afterward by a Petition I gave in, was prolonged for a week) then began the terrors thereof to dismay, and much to dash me; but casting my eyes beyond death, upon etetnity: and casting up the account of my former misspent life, both for public and personal guiltiness, and laying before my eyes the extremity and perpetuity of the pains of hell due to me for same, I was extremely dejected and casten down, and the fear thereof made me frequently to burst forth in tears. Thus finding the weight of sin, and of God's justice lying upon my soul, I was still seeking and striving to find out some way in myself to satisfy Justice, but in this I found much matter of discouragement, and no comfort, till God in his mercy did hold forth to me a better remedy, and laid down a more sure foundation, by flying from the law to the Covenant of free Grace, and free Love, which was opened up and explained to me by God's servants of the Ministry, and several other good Christians, that gave me a charitable visit in that my distressed condition, for the which the Lord comfort their souls in the day of their trials and Afflictions: And it shall now be my prayer, and I shall desire the assistance of yours, that through the blood of that Covenant, my sins may be washen away, and my soul may be received unto eternal happiness, Amen.  
At Edinburgh, 21 June, 1650. I do with Heart and Hand subscribe this Declaration, ALEXANDER CHARTERS.  
Witnesses hereto,  


M. James Hamilton,  
M. Robert Blaickley.  
M. John Charters,  
M. Laurence Charters.    
FINIS.