In 1774 he was named as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. While he supported the non-importation agreement and the first petition to the King, he was in favor of reconciliation. He was returned to the Second Congress in 1775, but as differences with Great Britain became more pronounced, the Congress began to adopt a harder line. Finally, on November 13, 1775, he wrote his resignation to the New Jersey General Assembly, and they accepted it on November 22.