What did the church do to determine if Silas Marner was guilty?

"After Marner denied the crime, the members of Lantern Yard drew lots to be certain of Marner's guilt. They drew the lots and, inevitably, Marner was declared guilty. This two-fold condemnation-not only by the treachery of his best friend but also by the community of God-destroyed the young Marner's faith completely. He left the community of Lantern Yard, declaring that "there is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies, that bears witness against the innocent."