havealreadyshown，andthattheprinciplelaiddownbyEscobarleadsussafelyontothepractice，Ihavetotellyouthatyouhaveauthorswhohavepermitteditinsomanywords，andamongothersFatherHereauinhispubliclectures，ontheconclusionofwhichthekingputhimunderarrestinyourhouse，forhavingtaught，amongothererrors，thatwhenapersonwhohasslanderedusinthepresenceofmenofhonour，continuestodosoafterbeingwarnedtodesist，itisallowabletokillhim，notpublicly，indeed，forfearofscandal，butinaprivateway—sedclam。IhavehadoccasionalreadytomentionFatherLamy，andyoudonotneedtobeinformedthathisdoctrineonthissubjectwascensuredin1649bytheUniversityofLouvain。AndyettwomonthshavenotelapsedsinceyourFatherDesBoismaintainedthisverycensureddoctrineofFatherLamyandtaughtthat\"itwasallowableforamonktodefendthehonourwhichheacquiredbyhisvirtue，evenbykillingthepersonwhoassailshisreputation—etiamcummorteinvasoris\"；whichhasraisedsuchascandalinthattownthatthewholeofthecuresunitedtoimposesilenceonhim，andtoobligehim，byacanonicalprocess，toretracthisdoctrine。ThecaseisnowpendingintheEpiscopalcourt。Whatsayyounow，fathers？Whyattempt，afterthat，tomaintainthat\"noJesuiteverheldthatitwaslawfultokillforslander？\"
Isanythingmorenecessarytoconvinceyouofthisthantheveryopinionsofyourfatherswhichyouquote，sincetheydonotcondemnmurderinspeculation，butonlyinpractice，andthat，too，\"onaccountoftheinjurythatmighttherebyaccruetotheState\"？AndhereIwouldjustbegtoaskwhetherthewholematterindisputebetweenusisnotsimplyandsolelytoascertainifyouhaveorhavenotsubvertedthelawofGodwhichcondemnsmurder？
Thepointinquestionis，notwhetheryouhaveinjuredthecommonwealth，butwhetheryouhaveinjuredreligion。Whatpurpose，then，canitserve，inadisputeofthiskind，toshowthatyouhavesparedtheState，whenyoumakeitapparent，atthesametime，thatyouhavedestroyedthefaith？
IsthisnotevidentfromyoursayingthatthemeaningofReginald，onthequestionofkillingforslanders，is，\"thataprivateindividualhasarighttoemploythatmodeofdefence，viewingitsimplyinitself\"？Idesirenothingbeyondthisconcessiontoconfuteyou。\"Aprivateindividual，\"
yousay，\"hasarighttoemploythatmodeofdefence\"（thatis，killingforslanders），\"viewingthethinginitself’；and，consequently，fathers，thelawofGod，whichforbidsustokill，isnullifiedbythatdecision。