[Footnote A:  There is no evidence that masters had the power to dispose of even the services of their servants, as men hire out their laborers whom they employ by the year; but whether they had or not, affects not the argument.]

Though servants were not bought of their masters, yet young females were bought of their fathers.  But their purchase as servants was their betrothal as WIVES.  Ex. xxi. 7, 8.  “If a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the men-servants do.  If she please not her master WHO HATH BETROTHED HER TO HIMSELF, he shall let her be redeemed."[B]

[Footnote B:  The comment of Maimonides on this passage is as follows:—­“A Hebrew handmaid might not be sold but to one who laid himself under obligations, to espouse her to himself or to his son, when she was fit to be betrothed.”—­Maimonides—­Hilcoth—­Obedim, Ch.  IV.  Sec.  XI.  Jarchi, on the same passage, says, “He is bound to espouse her to be his wife, for the money of her purchase is the money of her espousal.”]

VII.  VOLUNTARY SERVANTS FROM THE STRANGERS.

We infer that all the servants from the Strangers were voluntary in becoming such, since we have direct testimony that some of them were so.  “Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, OR OF THY STRANGERS that are in thy land within thy gates.”  Deut. xxiv. 14.  We learn from this that some of the servants, which the Israelites obtained from the strangers were procured by presenting the inducement of wages to their free choice, thus recognizing their right to sell their services to others, or not, at their own pleasure.  Did the Israelites, when they went among the heathen to procure servants, take money in one hand and ropes in the other?  Did they ask one man to engage in their service, and drag along with them the next that they met, in spite of his struggles.  Did they knock for admission at one door and break down the next?  Did they go through one village with friendly salutations and respectful demeanor, and with the air of those soliciting favors, offer wages to the inhabitants as an inducement to engage in their service—­while they sent on their agents to prowl through the next, with a kidnapping posse at their heels, to tear from their homes as many as they could get within their clutches?

VIII.  HEBREW SERVANTS VOLUNTARY.

We infer that the Hebrew servant was voluntary in COMMENCING his service, because he was preeminently so IN CONTINUING it.  If, at the year of release, it was the servant’s choice to remain with his master, the law required his ear to be bored by the judges of the land, thus making it impossible for him to be held against his will.  Yea more, his master was compelled to keep him, however much he might wish to get rid of him.

IX.  THE MANNER OF PROCURING SERVANTS, AN APPEAL TO CHOICE.