Explain the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch ?
The doctrine of the divine or absolute right of the monarch is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. It maintains that a monarch derives the right to rule directly from the will of God and hence cannot be subjected to any earthly authority. The monarch thus cannot be subjected to the will of the people, the aristocracy or even the Church. According to this doctrine, only God can judge an unjust king. This implies that any attempt to depose the king or to restrict his powers runs contrary to the will of God and hence amounts to committing sacrilege.