From 1651 to 1653 he was living within the bounds of the presbytery of Dalkeith, with or near to Robert Leighton, then minister of Newbattle, who had been a pupil of Charteris's father.
In September 1654 Charteris was called to be minister of the parish of Bathans (now Yester), in the adjoining presbytery of Haddington.
He was in presbyterian orders, but, except in a few cases in the diocese of Aberdeen, there was no reordination of the parish ministers who had been appointed in the time of presbytery; only, to save the rights of patrons, those who had been admitted to benefices since 1649 were required to obtain presentation from the lawful patron, and collation from the bishop.
Charteris was close to Robert Douglas, Patrick Scougal who was bishop of Aberdeen in 1664, James Nairne, and Gilbert Burnet.
[1] In 1687 James II dispensed with the test, and in September 1688 Charteris was instituted to the parish of Dirleton in East Lothian.
In the latter work (republished by Robert Foulis, Glasgow, 1761) Charteris condemns the preaching at the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and pleads for the restoration of the public reading of the Bible in the services of the Church of Scotland.