THE Old Testament records Elijah's exhortation to the people that they depart from idolatrous worship and give undivided loyalty to the one and only God. The narrative reads (I Kings 18:21): "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." To strengthen the people's wavering faith in God, Elijah proceeded to give them such an exhibition of the superiority of divine power over idolatrous beliefs in matter that when they "saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God."
Mary Baker Eddy emphasizes throughout her writings the necessity of undivided allegiance to God and the superiority of spiritual over material so-called power. On page 454 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she writes, "The superiority of spiritual power over sensuous is the central point of Christian Science." She, however, first proved this superiority by healing through Christianly scientific means alone numerous cases which faith in material methods had failed to cure.
An instance of the superiority of spiritual over material means of healing may be found in the fifth chapter of Mark's Gospel. There the disciple tells about a woman suffering from an ailment of long standing. Medical aid had failed to relieve the condition. The account says that she "had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." When she heard about Jesus, she placed her whole faith in his spiritual power to heal her, and experienced instantaneous recovery.
