Dr. Williamson, through most of his life, was afflicted with asthma in its severest form, but his vigorous will enabled him, in spite of it, to perform much labor. He delivered nearly 4,000 sermons, published nine volumes, beside many pamphlets, and for forty years was connected with our periodicals. He once crossed the Atlantic, and preached the Gospel of Impartial Grace in Great Britain. He took seven voyages of 2,000 miles coastwise by sea on the same errand. In his voyage to Europe, one of his fellow passengers was Washington Irving, then on his way to Spain. Mr. Williamson conducted the religious services on board the vessel, one Sunday morning, discoursing on the Paternal character, purposes and requirements of God, in accordance with Christian Universalism. After the service, Mr. Irving, who had been an attentive listener, cordially thanked the preacher for his sermon, adding emphatically, "These, sir, are my views, and I am trying to live in agreement with them."
Mr. Williamson was a prominent and highly respected member of the Society of Odd Fellows, lectured far and wide in exposition and defence of their principles, and went to England mainly in their service. He was for many years Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of the United States, and the ritual now in use by the Order was largely from his pen. He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Norwich, Vt., University, in 1850. The writer of this sketch first heard Dr. Williamson preach at the session of the Universalist General Convention held in Strafford, Vt., in 1832. The subject was "Lukewarmness rebuked;" the text, Rev. iii. 15: "I would thou wert cold or hot." No noisy, declamatory appeal was it, no clap-trap effort reminding the audience of the "smartness" of the one to whom they are listening; but a clear, strong, earnest statement of the greatness of the Truth of God and of its pre-eminent claims upon the attention, love, and consecrated zeal of every believer in its unsearchable riches. In illustration (not profuse), in persuasiveness and application, it could not have been improved. The large old church was filled, the audience were in closest attention to the end, and many were the silent, sympathetic "amens" in response when his words were ended. The discourse afterwards appeared in the "Gospel Preacher," a monthly publication issued at Augusta, Me.