I had not planned for this part to be released on this date as it was scheduled for two weeks from today. However, the Lord had other plans. Many of you will probably understand what I mean as you read the following.
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What does the word “Providence” really mean in the Declaration when in the last sentence it says, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”?
Did you notice the word is capitalized? Why do you think that is? The answer is revealed in the definition of the word. Merriam Webster has the following,
1a often capitalized : divine guidance or care – b capitalized : God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny
2: the quality or state of being provident
From this we learn that Providence is all about God and His relationship with humanity. We see the capitalization of the word has meaning. It ties God in as a powerful, divine being giving guidance and His care to humanity. The first two paragraphs of the Declaration state this understanding by the signers as they establish the basis for their move toward independence. We need to focus on the capitalization of the words a bit closer.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
A number of words are capitalized in the Declaration of Independence. In addition to capitalizing titles and names, the framers did so with other key words to emphasize the points they were making. When individually listed, they lead the reader to conclusions about the purpose of the document. From the opening two paragraphs, they are listed below:
Course, Laws of Nature, Nature’s God, Creator, Rights, Life, Liberty, Happiness, Right of the People, Government(s) – various places, Form of Government, Safety, Happiness, Prudence, Object, Despotism, Guards, Systems of Government, Tyranny, Facts
If you had not read the Declaration and only saw these capitalized words from it that are listed above, could you come to a conclusion about the document’s purpose and intent? How about something like this in TradeBaiteese?
In the course of living life within the laws of nature under nature’s God who established it, our Creator has granted rights to life, liberty and happiness that governments in whatever form and system must honor and provide for the safety of the people. If not, the people should object and guard against any despotism that leads to tyranny and get rid of it. Those are just the facts!
I am sure readers can come up with their own versions as well. However, the intent of the words in the document remain clear. As it states in its wrap up,
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
More Providence Discussion
Which leads to this excellent discussion of “Providence” by our own Bakocarl in the 4/13/25 daily thread. That God had Bakocarl provide this discussion in the same time period as my own preparation for this thread on this topic of God’s hand guiding the completion of the Declaration of Independence, well, it will likely be met with acceptance of Providence by believers and called coincidence by non-believers. For the record, he and I had no previous discussion relating to the subject. Bakocarl said,
Then we have what is called the providence of God. The doctrine of providence holds that God quietly and invisibly works through the natural world to manage events. God, in His providence, works out His purposes through natural processes in the physical and social universe. Every effect can be traced back to a natural cause, and there is no hint of the miraculous. The best that man can do to explain the reason why things happen in the course of natural events is to point to “coincidence.”
Believers proclaim that God arranges the coincidences. The unbeliever derides such ideas because he believes natural causes can fully explain each event without reference to God. Yet followers of Christ are wholly assured of this profound truth: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
The book of Esther shows divine providence at work. The banishment of Vashti, the selection of Esther, the plot of the assassins, the pride of Haman, the courage of Mordecai, the insomnia of the king, the bloodlust of Zeresh, and the reading of the scroll—everything in the book happens, like cogs in a well-oiled machine, to bring about the deliverance of God’s people. Although God is never mentioned in Esther, His providence, working through “coincidence,” is plain to see.
God is always at work in the lives of His people, and in His goodness will bring them to a good end (see Philippians 1:6). The events that define our lives are not simply products of natural causes or random chance. They are ordained by God and are intended for our good. We often fail to sense God’s hidden guidance or protection as events in our lives unfold. But, when we look back at past events, we are able to see His hand more clearly, even in times of tragedy.
I doubt there is a MAGA supporting believer alive that doubts “Providence” was involved in Butler, PA that eventful day; which could have ended in tragedy. As we believers know it did not because God had other plans for Donald Trump and America since we under his divine “Providence”. What is to be our response to same? “…, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Does that even remotely resemble what has happened in America in your lifetime outside of Ronald Reagan’s and Donald Trump’s presidential terms? Even in those periods the Dems and RINO’s worked against the unity the Declaration requires that is under divine Providence.
Coincidently (not), the subject of Providence is exactly what Donald Trump believes.
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/inside-donald-trumps-relationship-god-his-own-words
Which leads to the following and its schedule of events.
I hope all of you will take this discussion of Providence to heart and worship the Lord who rose from the dead to give us life eternal.
Time for more signers, let’s finish the Maryland crew.
William Paca
William Paca was born in 1740 in Abington, MD as one of seven children. His parents were John and Elizabeth Smith Paca. His father was a wealthy plantation owner who was the third generation of Paca’s who had lived in Maryland. The first generation family patriarch, Robert, had indentured himself to a colonist named John Hall when he arrived in America in 1660. He worked on the Hall property. When John Hall passed away, he later married his widow and in so doing became an owner. This became the basis for the family’s future possessions and occupation as planters. This became a family tradition for the Paca men as they married well and added to the family’s possessions and properties. They were involved in the Anglican Church and later joined the Quakers. However, William’s parents left the latter to return to the Anglican Church when they were married in 1732. John went on to become a justice of the peace, Captain in the militia, and delegate to the General Assembly.
As best that can be determined William was schooled at home until age 12, when he was sent to the Academy and Charity School with his brother in Philadelphia. He went on to later graduate from Philadelphia College (Penn) in 1759 at age 19. He went to Annapolis to begin his law career, clerked for Stephen Bradley, and helped found a pro democracy debate society called the Forensic Club. It was in the club that he forged a strong, lasting friendship with fellow signer, Samuel Chase. From there he progressed to attendance at the prestigious Middle Temple in London before following with a Masters back at Philadelphia College. He was admitted to the bar in 1764.
The previous year (1763), William did the male thing in the Paca family; he married into money He married Ann Mary (Molly) Chew. She was from long established, wealthy family who had family descended from the settlers of Jamestown in 1622. Her father had died soon after her birth and her mother had married another wealthy and politically connected man named Daniel Dulany who helped raise Molly. After William and Molly married they moved into a large mansion they had built in Annapolis.
Soon after this in 1765, William and Samuel Chase founded the county’s Sons of Liberty group and both pushed opposition to the Stamp Act. William was soon elected into the state’s General Assembly the next year just as in the previous generations of Paca men as he became popular and successful in his law practice. In personal settings he was reserved and thoughtful. In his political public life he was bold and unafraid to challenge authority. His political stature grew as he took on British oppression. Then personal tragedy hit, his beloved wife Molly died during childbirth of their third child in 1774. William became distraught with grief.
In response he turned his attention completely to the independence movement. It was not long until he joined the First Continental Congress and became close to John Adams. John Adams gave him the nickname of the “deliberater” due to his thoughtfulness and manners. He was also a signer of the Olive Branch Petition. It was during this period that Benjamin Rush described him the best when he described Paca as, “beloved and respected by all who knew him, and considered at all times as a sincere patriot and honest man.”
When Maryland removed voting restrictions on its delegates relating to independence, he immediately voted for approval of the Declaration of Independence and signed later. He continued to serve in Congress into 1777 before returning to Maryland and being elected into the senate of the Assembly. He was soon appointed as a General Court judge where he faced dealing with legal challenges from insurrectionists and traitors along the Eastern Shore. By 1780 he appointed to the Court of Appeals.
Back in 1777 he married well again, this time to Ann Harrison who was 16 years younger. She was the daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia merchant and past mayor, Henry Harrison. However, Paca faced tragedy yet again when she died in 1780, also possibly during the childbirth of their first child. In between marriages Paca had two children our of wedlock. Only two of his six children survived to adulthood, John Philemon Paca from his first wife, Molly, and an illegitimate child, Henrietta Mara, born to Sarah Joyce. He provided for his children born out of wedlock during their lives in every way possible.
Paca was a major backer of states’ rights and resisted efforts to change from the Articles of Confederation. He was an antifederalist during the period. However, when it came time he voted to approve the Constitution. During the period of its negotiation he pushed 28 amendments to make it more palatable to states’ rights advocates and those concerned with individual freedoms relating to religious liberty, freedom of the press, and freedom from judicial tyranny (we need him today for that one). Many of the proposed amendments passed into law in the Bill of Rights. You and I are beneficiaries today.
in 1789 Paca was appointed judge by George Washington to the Court of Maryland, a position that he held until his death in 1799. He was nearly 59 years old. This dedicated, important American Patriot was instrumental in giving us so many of the freedoms we take for granted today. We salute his service to our nation.
Thomas Stone
We now focus on an unquestioned patriot signer that will also include a short mention of a vaccination and dying from the grief of losing a loved one near the end.
Yes, this was the life of one Thomas Stone, who was born in 1743 in Charles County, MD. He grew up in wealthy plantation owning family and was educated at home until age 15. He started to a nearby small school of a Greek and Latin teacher for three years, riding by horseback ten miles each day to attend. He then moved to Annapolis to study law under a prominent attorney. Although from a wealthy family, Stone had to borrow the money to do it indicating his father was not in support. He was admitted to the bar four years later at age 21. At the age of 25, he married eighteen-year-old Margaret Brown who was the daughter of Dr. Gustavus Brown and his second wife, Margaret Black Boyd. He then built a beautiful home named Habre deVenture on his 400 acre estate, where they had three children together. They were Episcopalian in their faith.
His father passed away in 1773 and left his huge estate to the oldest son of a previous marriage and nothing to Thomas. That left Thomas and Margaret with taking in his six, much younger siblings. In response they added on to their home and did so without hesitation with great love.
Stone was a quiet man who disliked the concept of war with the British. However, as many others grew to accept it, he found it to be inevitable. His alignment with independence became official when he was appointed to the state’s Committee of Correspondence. As his recognition grew, he was appointed to represent the state in the Second Continental Congress after the battles of Concord and Lexington. He signed the Olive Branch Petition as a last attempt for reconciliation.
The following was included in one of his letters. “I wish to conduct affairs so that a just and honorable reconciliation should take place, or that we should be unanimous in a resolution to fight it out for independence. The proper way to affect this is not to move too quick. But then we must take care to do everything which is necessary for our security and defense, not suffer ourselves to be lulled or wheedled by any deceptions, declarations, or giving’s out. You know my heart wishes for peace upon terms of security and justice to America. But war, anything, is preferable to a surrender of our rights.“
In June 1776 he was chosen to be one of the thirteen who drafted the Articles of Confederation. A month later when the state freed its delegates to vote, he voted for the Declaration of Independence, signing the document a month later. He returned to Maryland, his law practice, and in public service as he was elected to the state Senate. He served for several years before once again being elected to serve in the Continental Congress in 1783 as the war ended. He returned to his law practice and public service in 1785. He left the latter after serving for a year with the Constitutional Convention.
In 1787 his world was turned upside down. I will finish the body of this discussion on his life with a direct quotation from the Descendants site:
“In 1787 Stone’s wife Margaret became alarmingly ill. She had received a smallpox inoculation a decade earlier, and from the effects of the mercury contained in the vaccine, she experienced a long state of weakness and decline. During her illness, Stone wrote as follows: “The illness of a wife I esteem most dearly preys most severely on my Spirits, she is I thank God something better this afternoon, and this Intermission of her Disorder affords me time to write to you. The Doctor thinks she is in a fair way of being well in a few days. I wish I thought so….”
Stone watched over her with unwearied devotion and a deep and abiding melancholy overtook his spirit. At length, however, in the middle of 1787, she sank to the grave at the early age of thirty-six.
From this time on, the health of Stone evidently declined. The grief-stricken Stone abandoned his work, and declined to attend the Constitutional Convention to which he had been elected. In the autumn his physicians advised him to take a sea voyage and in obedience to that advice, he traveled to Alexandria to embark for England. Before the vessel was ready to sail, however, he suddenly expired on October 5, 1787 in the forty fifth year of his age. Stone is buried in the family graveyard about 200 yards from his home at Habre deVenture, in Port Tobacco, Maryland.”
Thomas Stone was a great American Patriot and an even greater person. We have been graced by God to have men and women like Thomas and Margaret Stone in our national heritage.
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Be blessed and go make something good happen!