Tertullian

“ Contrast Between the Statements of Hermogenes and the Testimony of Holy Scripture Respecting the Creation. Creation Out of Nothing, Not Out of Matter.
But it is not thus that the prophets and the apostles have told us that the world was made by God merely appearing and approaching Matter. ”

“ Do not be willing so to cover God with flattery, as to contend that He produced by His mere appearance and simple approach so many vast substances, instead of rather forming them by His own energies. For this is proved by Jeremiah when he says, “God hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by His understanding.” [7] These are the energies by the stress of which He made this universe. [8] His glory is greater if He laboured. ”