The Credibility and Morality of the Four Gospels, Report of the Discussion Between T.D. Matthias and Iconoclast

The Credibility And Morality Of The Four Gospels, Report Of The Discussion Between T.D. Matthias And Iconoclast by Thomas D. Matthias chronicles a public, structured debate held in Halifax in 1859–1860 between the Baptist minister Thomas D. Matthias and the Iconoclast, an atheist-leaning interlocutor, over the credibility and moral content of the four gospels. The text presents the five-night discussion in which each speaker outlines and defends positions about the authorship, dating, and reliability of the gospel records, the presence of prophecies, the birth narratives, the miracles, and the teachings attributed to Jesus. Alongside the polemical disputations, the work cites early Christian writers (Papias, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, Origen, Tertullian, and others) to contextualize arguments about apostolic succession and scriptural authority. The dialogue also examines the implications of belief, faith, and morality, contrasting evangelical claims with atheistic critiques, and aims to assess whether Christian doctrine has produced moral or societal benefits. The book is a historical artifact of mid-19th-century religious controversy and is often reprinted in modern collections.