Prefatory clauses are hard

But, but, well regulated militia! If only there were documents from the time period of the founding that were not so maddenly "confusing"!

Here is a copy of the Pennsylvania constitution from the same time period: http://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/law/pa-constitution/_pdf/constitutions/1790/const-1970-pa-archives-vol10.pdf. Note Article IX Section 21:

That the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be reconized and unalterably establed, WE DECLARE,

(snip 20 sections)

Section 21. That the right of the citizens to bear arms in defence of themselves and the state shall not be questioned.

Clear enough.

Note that this was ratified in an "ethnically and religiously diverse" state: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pennsylvania-ratifies-the-constitution.