Abstract Trade in the early modern Atlantic grew a great deal. While acknowledging that this growth had important economic, social and cultural consequences, scholars have yet to fully explain its causes. This paper argues that formal religious institutions were key. Based on records from colonial Philadelphia, it shows how the Quaker meeting created a legal forum to resolve commercial disputes. The meeting enforced its verdicts by gathering and disseminating information about disputes locally and across the Atlantic world through the Society of Friends’ formal organisation of meetings. Thereby, it re-enforced reputation mechanisms, facilitating the expansion of Philadelphia's trade.

中文翻译：

---

法律与福音秩序：解决殖民地费城的商业纠纷

摘要 近代早期大西洋的贸易增长了很多。虽然承认这种增长具有重要的经济、社会和文化后果，但学者们尚未充分解释其原因。本文认为，正式的宗教机构是关键。根据殖民地费城的记录，它展示了贵格会会议如何创建了一个解决商业纠纷的法律论坛。会议通过朋友协会的正式会议组织收集和传播有关当地和整个大西洋世界的争端信息来执行其裁决。因此，它加强了声誉机制，促进了费城贸易的扩张。