It is believed that Sanei killed himself for fear of the punishment by bakufu for translating 'Yasoden' (a book on Jesus Christ) into colloquial speech, but some argue that Sanei did not have to commit suicide because bakufu had no reason to punish him.
崋山に「耶蘇伝」を口訳したことなどから連坐を恐れたものとされるが、三英には特に処罰される必然性はなく、自害は早計だったのではないか、とする意見もある。