He was an advocate of royal absolutism

James developed a theological justification for the monarchy in The True Law of Free Monarchies and Basilikon Doron (Royal Gift), both of which were published in 1597–1598. He outlines the divine authority of monarchs in The True Law, claiming that they are superior to other individuals for biblical reasons, even though "the highest bench is the sliddriest to sit upon." The paper suggests an absolutist view of monarchy, according to which a king may enact new legislation through royal prerogative, but must also take into account custom and God, who will "stir up such scourges as pleaseth him, for the punishment of evil kings."

Basilikon Doron, a book of instruction for four-year-old Prince Henry, offers a more down-to-earth explanation of monarchy. The piece is regarded as having excellent writing and may be the best representation of James's prose. James' advice on parliaments, which he took to mean simply the king's "head court," was that they wouldn't be necessary "but for the necessity of new Lawes, which would be but rarely." Because kings came into existence "before any estates or ranks of men, before any parliaments were held, or laws established, and by them was the land dispersed, which at first was fully theirs," James claims in The True Law that the king owns his realm like a feudal lord owns his fief. Thus, it follows logically that laws were created and written by kings, not by or for rulers.