Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 2
1788-03-30
Parson Toppan of Newtown1 preach'd at our meeting this day. I attended all day and was very much pleased with his ingenuity: he is quite orthodox enough, although he has contended with Mr. Spring upon some very knotty points. His delivery is not graceful, nor even agreeable; but the sound sense, and ingenuity, which appear in his sermons, more than compensate for defects which are so common.
I have read through Knox's treatise upon Education, and in general am much pleased with it. If his censures of the present times, did not sometimes border upon ill-nature, and if he had not profess'd to maintain the advantages of prejudice, and partiality I should place much greater confidence in his opinion; but his complaints in many cases are but too just, and too applicable to the manners of this Country.
Probably David Tappan, minister at the Third Parish of Newbury, now West Newbury.