The legal authority of the civil power as invoked by the Church to punish offenders.
（教会的）俗权
she was convicted and turned over to the secular arm for execution
Example sentencesExamples
To protect their understanding of Christian freedom, these Lutherans refused to be compelled in matters of church usages when the secular arm of authority was forcing the issue.
In Western Christendom the Church of Rome exercised spiritual domination and was not reluctant to use the secular arm - that is, the civil authorities and their armies - to ensure conformity in doctrine and practice.
In Portugal the inquisition was still releasing heretics to be burnt by the secular arm as late as 1750.
The so-called ultramontanes believed that the state should serve as the secular arm of the Church and enforce its monopoly of the truth against all rival ideologies.
They were equivalent to the Church Militant - or secular arm - of Joan of Arc's era which carried out her public burning in Rouen's market square.
Definition of secular arm in US English:
secular arm
noun
the secular arm
The legal authority of the civil power as invoked by the Church to punish offenders.
（教会的）俗权
she was convicted and turned over to the secular arm for execution
Example sentencesExamples
The so-called ultramontanes believed that the state should serve as the secular arm of the Church and enforce its monopoly of the truth against all rival ideologies.
In Western Christendom the Church of Rome exercised spiritual domination and was not reluctant to use the secular arm - that is, the civil authorities and their armies - to ensure conformity in doctrine and practice.
In Portugal the inquisition was still releasing heretics to be burnt by the secular arm as late as 1750.
To protect their understanding of Christian freedom, these Lutherans refused to be compelled in matters of church usages when the secular arm of authority was forcing the issue.
They were equivalent to the Church Militant - or secular arm - of Joan of Arc's era which carried out her public burning in Rouen's market square.