To every individual Member of the supreme authority of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, but more especially to Colonel George Thompson Chairman to the Committee for regulating the new Impost of Excise, and particularly for that of SOAP:  
The humble Address of Lieutenant Coll. John Lilburne, a Freeman of the Commonwealth of England.  
With all humility and respect humbly showeth,  
THat upon the Sope-makers late Petition to this honourable House, for the ease of their grievances therein complained of; Your House were pleased to refer it to the Consideration of the foresaid Committee, where Colonel Thomson hath the Chair; Upon the hearing of which there; several Propositions and printed papers have been presented to the Honourable Parliament, and particularly, Some considerations of the said Sope-makers, were presented to the Honourable, The Parliament of England, upon the 5. of this instant, with the hands of Alderman John Hayes and 19 more of the said Sope-makers thereunto annexed: in answer unto which was presented the next day after, a paper subscribed by one John Walker a Sope-maker, living in White-Chappel; at the conclusion of which he hath these very words, viz.  
There is a great Report about London, that some of the eminent Subscribers report, that I (the said JOHN WALKER) ought to come and present my Proposals, Quaeres, and Considerations with a halter about my neck, to which I (the said JOHN WALKER) reply, it was a Custom among the Lacedæmonians made so by Lycurgus, that if any man presented any thing to the Senate, they came with halters about there necks, signifying, that if any thing was presented prejudicial to the commonwealth, the party was executed; if it was approved by the Council he had a Chain given him; to which if any Subscriber EQVAL TO ME, shall be so contented, I willingly will submit to it, and leave it to the judgement of this great Council to give to each of us his demerit; my conscience bearing me witness that if there be any Error in my PAPERS it is Reipublicae error amoris, not Amor erroris, to the Commonwealth an error of love, not love of error.  
To which, with all humility I crave leave from your Honour's favour, to join issue with the said John Walker, provided I may but a little inquire and dig into what he means by those words in his foregoing proposal, viz. EQVAL TO HIM.  
To which I Querie, if by Equal to him he means one, That was a Silkman and afterwards broke; as he himself confessed to Mr. Thomas Pulteney he did, at that time when he said unto him, That a broken Silkman would make a good Soap-boiler; I confess amongst the Subscribers I know none such to Equal him. Or,  
Secondly, if by one Equal to him, he means such a one, as after his being a Silkman broke, and after that turned Sope-boiler, and then being too hasty of being rich before his time, turned Engrosser of all or most of the Potashes, about a year or two ago, that he and his partners could engross into their hands, in and about the City of London; by the falling of which they justly lost divers Thousands of Pounds; which gave John Walker such a second pull, as that it made him (as Alderman Hayes informs me) confess to Major Brett (one of his Creditors) that now he is not worth a groat: And if by equal to him he means such a one, I know no such amongst the foresaid Subscribers. Or,  
Thirdly, if by Equal to him, he means such a one as hath been an open professed notorious Royal Malignant Cavalier, as John Walker hath been, and an active underminer (upon the late King's score) of all the Parliaments proceed for about 8. years together; yea, and one so full of Zeal therefore, that it led him in the nature of a Spy or Inteligencer to travel from London to Oxford, and other parts of the King's Quarters: for which as a Traitor he was (as Alderman John Hayes informs me) clapped in the Tower about the year 1643. and had like therefore to have been hanged by the Council of War then sitting at Guild Hall: If by his Equal in these particulars, he means such a one, I know none such amongst the Subscribers. Or,  
Fourthly, if by Equal to him, he means such a one as himself is, who (as the foresaid Alderman John Hayes saith he will justify and prove him to be) managed the Petition of several persons in and about London, and was their active mouth at the Bar of the Common Council, when the Petition was presented for the Conjunction of all the Suburbs Militia's to that of London, which was then looked upon by the Parliament and Army, as a Plotted Design, to cut the throats of all those commonly called Zealously well affected in Parliament, City, and Army▪ I know no such Equal to him, amongst us. Or,  
Fiftly, if by his Equal, he means one that listed men privately upon the late King's score, on purpose to cut the Parliament and Army's throats, about the time of the last Hambletonian Invasion, as the said John Walker did a Cooper and others in White Chapel, and made him or them drunk to boot, as the said Cooper hath confessed to a friend of mine, who avows that the said Cooper is ready to justify it; We have no such Equal to him, in this particular that I know of amongst us Subscribers.  
But lastly, if by Equal to him (although upon equal terms, I should abhor & abominate myself to compare myself to so worthless a fellow) he means, a man as much an honest man, as he is a knave; or a man as much a true Parliamenteer, upon their own constant declared Principles, as he is a Royal or Regal malignant Cavalier; or a man that dare be as valiant for a Good Cause, as he dare for his life be for a Wicked: I do hereby throw him the Gauntlet, and Declare myself in this sense to be his Equal; And upon that score, do humbly and submissively Propose to the Parliament, That if upon the reading and Debate hereof, they please to pass an Order that upon such a Day as they please to appoint, that myself and the said John Walker, shall each of us (with a Halter about our necks) appear at their Bar, I will face to face undertake by dint of Argument and Reason to maintain, There is more peace, quietness, justice, honesty, profit and benefit to the State in the Proposals of the Sopemakers Petition, and Answer to his and his thrice broken brother Booths Proposals, and the forementioned printed Considerations presented to the Parliament-members, upon the 5 of this instant November, then there is in all or any of his printed Proposals or papers; and the issue of this (totally to end the controversy) I will and do to the utmost extent of life and death hereby put upon the Vote and judgement of the House. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand this 6. of November 1650. provided we may each of us have the nomination of a Shorthand-writer to take the arguments as exactly as they can, that passeth at the Bar betwixt him and  
Nou: 7.th. 1650 John Lilburne.