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Electors of Saxony in Luther’s Time: John the Steadfast

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

Frederick was succeeded by his brother, John the Steadfast or Constant.

Elector John, called the Steadfast, elector of Saxony, was the fourth son of the elector Ernest. John was born 3 June 1468. He received a scholarly education, was trained in the arts of knighthood, and distinguished himself in the struggle against the Ottoman Turks.

Compared to Frederick, John was less prudent and influential in politics. However John was a more determined adherent of the Reformation. His stature is stated as being "too fat to mount his horse without the aid of a machine." Though John went to sleep at times under Luther's sermons, he stood by Luther at every cost. John's motto was: "The word of God abideth for ever." He placed this motto on his ensigns and liveries. He was the first to sign the immortal protest of Speier (Speyer) in 1529 and the Confession of Augsburg in 1530.

In 1486, when his eldest brother became elector as Frederick III, John received a part of the paternal inheritance, and afterwards he assisted his kinsman, Maximilian I, in several campaigns.

John was an early adherent of Luther. When he became elector of Saxony upon his brother's death in May 1525, John became prominent among the Reformers.

Having assisted in the suppression of the Thomas Munzer-led uprising, John helped Philip, landgrave of Hesse, to found the league of Rotha in 1526 for the protection of the Reformers. He was active at the diet of Spires in 1526, and when the diet "recessed" he took the opportunity to reform the church in Saxony. In this reformation a plan for divine service was drawn up by Luther.

Otto von Pack alleged that a league had been formed against the elector and his friends. This caused John to ally himself again with Philip of Hesse in March 1528. However he restrained Philip from making an immediate attack upon their opponents. He signed the protest against the "recess" of the diet of Spires in 1529, being thus one of the original Protestants, and was actively hostile to Charles V at the diet of Augsburg in 1530. John signed the confession of Augsburg. John alone among the electors objected to the election of Ferdinand as emperor Ferdinand I, king of the Romans.

John was among the first members of the league of Schmalkalden and assented to the religious peace of Nuremberg in 1532.

It was probably with John the Steadfast that Luther enjoyed the greatest camaraderie. John was enamored by Luther's writings and followed the development of the Reformation movement with ever increasing interest. In the absence of the elector John omitted to publish the bull directed against Luther. In letters to his brother John warmly recommended Luther and admonished the cautious elector to adopt more decidedly the reformer's cause and to influence other princes in the same direction. John may have had a role in influencing Frederick to protect Luther in the Wartburg.

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