MONERGISM, Sylvester Hassell The monergistic or scriptural theory of regeneration teaches that there is but one efficient agent or actor in the renovation of the soul, namely, the Holy Spirit; that the will of fallen man is, like all his other faculties, utterly depraved, and has not the least ability or inclination to act holily until it has been renewed by Divine grace. This view was plainly set forth by Christ and his Apostles, as shown in the texts last quoted.
It was first in the Latin Catholic “Church” clearly and powerfully maintained by Augustine (born 353, died 430), the ablest and most spiritual-minded of the so-called “Latin Fathers,” who at first was an advocate of synergism, but was led by his deep experience and profound mind and intimate acquaintance with the scriptures to abandon synergism for monergism. He maintained that the entire human race sinned and fell in Adam, according to the Scriptures, and became utterly depraved, both in will and in all their other powers, the unrenewed will being able to work only external righteousness or morality, but not all internal righteousness or a spiritual conformity to the Divine law; that the activity of the human will, up to the point of regeneration, is hostile to God, and cannot co-operate with the Divine agency in the regenerating act, so that the Holy Spirit must take the initiative in the change from sin to holiness, and effect this change by his sovereign and almighty power, as well as preserve the spiritual life thus imparted, in accordance with God’s eternal decree of electing love, to its perfection in heavenly glory, to the praise of the divine mercy—while others, sinning of their own free-will, of which they so much boast, and not caused to sin by God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and who is the sun of righteousness and not of unrighteousness, are justly left to go on and perish in their sins and pride, to the praise of the Divine Justice.” (Hassell’s History pg 329)