The second and chief point is concerning the religious who through their favors and friendships affect the standing of officials, and by altering the truth impose blame on the latter or injure their reputation--reducing [public] affairs to their own methods, which has pernicious and evil results.

Since you see that, and have experienced it, as you say, it would be your own fault if you did not remedy that matter.

I leave it to you to do what is most fitting.

What occurs to us to advise you is, not to allow any religious to make charges or prove the innocence of any government official, unless it should be in some very special and particular case, in which his act may have occurred with the knowledge of such religious, and can be investigated in no other way.

You shall observe the same rule in official investigations, in which if the religious do not form a part of the court, certainty may thus be felt that affairs will proceed with sincerity and truth, as justice requires.