THE KING'S MIRROR 41 



command and not by the ordinance of man, and no man 

 can obtain royal authority except by divine dispensa- 

 tion." The king is not a secular ruler only, he also has 

 holy church in his power and keeping. It is his right and 

 duty to appoint church officials, and the churchmen 

 owe him absolute loyalty the same as his other subjects. 

 Christ pointed out the duty of church officials quite 

 clearly when he paid tribute to his earthly ruler, one 

 who was, moreover, a heathen.* 



It will be seen that the Address puts forth four claims 

 of far-reaching importance: kingship is of Hi vino igJQ 

 flFld th p king T2]lfg_hy t^ Q grn fif froH; the 

 royalty extends, t.o fop rhiirr*h WP]| a,<^ t.n t-b*VtStat** 

 includes the power fo aj>pnint. the, r^ferf} o/f flip 

 disloyalty to the king is a mortal sin; an unjust sentence 

 of excommunication is invalid and iniures him onlv who 

 publishes the anathema*. On all these points the King's 

 Mirror is in complete agreement with Sverre's mani- 

 festo. 



In the course of the dialog in the Speculum Regale the 

 son requests his father to take up and discuss the office 

 and business of the king; for, says he, " he is so highly 

 honored and exalted upon earth that all must bend 

 and bow before him as before God." f Th^ father ac- 

 r>mmt fnr tn*> p<pwfr and dignity ^f kingship in thin 



Way: men bow hpfnrp flip Icing as hpfnrp OnH 



he represents the exalted authority of God; he 

 God's own name and occupies the highest Judgment 



* The Address is published as an appendix to the Christiania edition of the 

 King's Mirror. It has also been issued in separate form under the title En 

 Tale mod Biskopperne; this edition is by Gustav Storm, 

 t C. xliii. 



