They were themselves at once prosecutors and judges.

The accused party was furnished with no copy of the charge.

He was examined and crossexamined.

If his answers did not give satisfaction, he was liable to be suspended from his office, to be ejected from it, to be pronounced incapable of holding any preferment in future.

If he were contumacious, he might be excommunicated, or, in other words, be deprived of all civil rights and imprisoned for life.