Hebrews 6:1

Heb. 6:1. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Edwards makes a comprehensive remark about Hebrews chapter six in his first major analytical work, Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God (1741). He locates it among other parts of Scripture which also teach the reality of religious counterfeits:

8. If some such as were thought to be wrought upon, fall away into gross errors or scandalous practices, 'tis no argument that the work in general is not the work of the Spirit of God. That there are some counterfeits, is no argument that nothing is true: such things are always expected in a time of reformation. If we look into church history, we shall find no instance of any great revival of religion, but what has been attended with many such things: instances of this nature in the apostles' days were innumerable, both of those that fell away into gross heresies, and also vile practices; that yet seemed to be the subjects of that work of the Spirit of God that was then, and were accepted for a while amongst those that were truly so, as their brethren, and some of their company, and were not suspected not to be of them, till they went out from them [1 John 2:19]. And they were not only private Christians, but teachers and officers, and eminent persons in the Christian church; and some that God had endowed with miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost; as appears by the beginning of the sixth chapter of the Hebrews. An instance of these was Judas, who was one of the twelve apostles, and had long been constantly united to, and intimately conversant with a company of truly experienced disciples, without being discovered or suspected, till he discovered himself by his scandalous practice; and had been treated by Jesus himself, in all external things, as if he had truly been a disciple, even investing him with the character of apostle, and sending him forth to preach the gospel, and enduing him with miraculous gifts of the Spirit: for though Christ knew him, yet he did not then clothe himself with the character of omniscient judge, and searcher of hearts, but acted the part of a minister of the visible church of God (for he was his Father's minister); and therefore rejected him not, till he had discovered himself by his scandalous practice; thereby giving an example to other guides and rulers of the visible church, not to take it upon them to act the part of searcher of hearts, but to be influenced in their administrations by what is visible and open.

There were some instances then of such apostates, not only in some that for a while were thought true Christians, but some that were esteemed eminently full of the grace of God's Spirit. An instance of this nature was Nicolas, one of the seven deacons; who was looked upon by the Christians in Jerusalem, in the time of that extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit, as a man full of the Holy Ghost, and was chosen out of the multitude of Christians to that office, for that reason: as you may see in Acts 6:3-5; yet he afterwards fell away, and became the head of a sect of vile heretics, of gross practices, called from his name the sect of the Nicolatians, Revelation 2:6; Revelation 2:15.

Edwards' later and most definitive analysis of true and spurious religious experience, Religious Affections (1746), sees Hebrews 6 (and other passages) not only as evidence of spurious religious conversion but as indicating also that Christian practice is the "proper proof" of genuine conversion:

Christ nowhere says, ye shall know the tree by its leaves or flowers, or ye shall know men by their talk, or ye shall know them by the good story they tell of their experiences, or ye shall know them by the manner and air of their speaking, and emphasis and pathos of expression, or by their speaking feelingly, or by making a very great show by abundance of talk, or by many tears and affectionate expressions, or by the affections ye feel in your hearts towards them: but by their fruits shall ye know them; the tree is known by its fruit; every tree is known by its own fruit. And as this is the evidence that Christ has directed us mainly to look at in others, in judging of them, so it is the evidence that Christ has mainly directed us to give to others, whereby they may judge of us; "Let your light so shine before men, that others seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Here Christ directs us to manifest our godliness to others. Godliness is as it were a light that shines in the soul: Christ directs that this light should not only shine within, but that it should shine out before men, that they may see it. But which way shall this be? 'Tis by our good works. Christ don't say, that others hearing your good words, your good story, or your pathetical expressions; but that others seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven. Doubtless when Christ gives us a rule how to make our light shine, that others may have evidence of it, his rule is the best that is to be found. And the apostles do mention a Christian practice, as the principal ground of their esteem of persons as true Christians. As the apostle Paul, in the 6th chapter of Hebrews (Hebrews 6). There the Apostle, in the beginning of the chapter, speaks of them that have great common illuminations, that have been enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, that afterwards fall away, and are like barren ground, that is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned: and then immediately adds in Hebrews 6:9 (expressing his charity for the Christian Hebrews, as having that saving grace, which is better than all these common illuminations): "But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation; though we thus speak." And then in the next verse, he tells 'em what was the reason he had such good thoughts of 'em: he don't say that it was because they had given him a good account of a work of God upon their souls, and talked very experimentally; but it was their work and labor of love; "For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minster." And the same Apostle speaks of a faithful serving of God in practice, as the proper proof to others of men's loving Christ above all, and preferring his honor to their private interest, "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's; but ye know the proof of him, that as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel" (Php_2:21-22). So the apostle John expresses the same, as the ground of his good opinion of Gaius, "For I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee" (3 John 1:3-6). But how did the brethren testify of the truth that was in Gaius? And how did the Apostle judge of the truth that was in him? It was not because they testified that he had given 'em a good account of the steps of his experiences, and talked like one that felt what he said, and had the very language of a Christian; but they testified, that he walked in the truth; as it follows, "even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully, whatsoever thou dost to the brethren and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church." Thus the Apostle explains what the brethren had borne witness of, when they came and testified of his walking in the truth. And the Apostle seems in this same place, to give it as a rule to Gaius how he should judge of others; in 3 John 1:9; 3 John 1:10, he mentions one Diotrephes, that did not carry himself well, and led away others after him; and then in verse 11, he directs Gaius to beware of such, and not to follow them; and gives him a rule whereby he may know them, exactly agreeable to that rule Christ had given before, "By their fruits ye shall know 'em"; says the Apostle: "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doth good, is of God; but he that doth evil hath not seen God." And I would further observe, that the apostle James, expressly comparing that way of showing others our faith and Christianity by our practice or works, with other ways of showing our faith without works, or not by works, does plainly and abundantly prefer the former; "Yea a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works: Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18). A manifestation of our faith without works, or in a way diverse from works, is a manifestation of it in words, whereby a man professes faith. As the Apostle says, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith?" (James 2:14). Therefore here are two ways of manifesting to our neighbor what is in our hearts; one by what we say, and the other by what we do. But the Apostle abundantly prefers the latter as the best evidence. Now certainly all accounts we give of ourselves in words, our saying that we have faith, and that we are converted, and telling the manner how we came to have faith, and the steps by which it was wrought, and the discoveries and experiences that accompany it, are still but manifesting our faith by what we say; 'tis but showing our faith by our words; which the Apostle speaks of as falling vastly short of manifesting of it by what we do, and showing our faith by our works.