De ostio arcae.
The Double Doorway of Christ
The ark's doorway is painted on both sides of the single pillar, which signifies Christ as the door.
We arrange the doorway of the ark in this way. Since the pillar signifies Christ, who says, "I am the door," and the pillar, for the reasons already given, is represented as it were twice in the ark — that is, with two sides — we therefore paint the doorway on each side of the pillar, that is, in the book of life toward the north and in the tree of life toward the south below; and yet, just as we represent one single pillar on each side, so we represent one single doorway at each entrance.✦
The Closed Door of Faith
The northern doorway signifies the humble faith by which we enter the Church, and it must remain closed to prevent a return to former errors.
The doorway toward the north signifies, through the book of life, the faith by which we pass from unfaithfulness into the Church, which happens through the humility of Christ, by which we have been called back; and this doorway ought to be closed, so that we don't return any further to our former errors.
The Open Door of Glory
The southern doorway signifies the passage to future glory and remains open so we may continually gaze toward our heavenly home.
The doorway toward the south signifies, through the tree of life, the passage from this life to the future glory — that is, to the fruit of the tree of life.✦ And this doorway is open, because we ought always to direct the eyes of our mind toward that place, so that we may depart from this misery as soon as possible.
Action versus Contemplation
The lower doorway signifies departure through action, while the upper window signifies departure through contemplation.
We represent yet another thing through the doorway. For since the doorway is below and the window above — which we placed above the compunction with an outstretched hand and a dove — the doorway, then, can fittingly signify departure through action, and the window departure through contemplation.
The Four Modes of Action
Action divides into four modes based on whether the activity is earthly or spiritual, and whether the motive is desire or necessity and charity.
However, we depart in four ways through action. Every action, then, is either earthly or spiritual. Serving earthly activities out of sheer desire is one way — like an unclean animal. Using them out of necessity is another way — like a clean animal. Taking up spiritual actions out of desire is a third way — as if an evil person were doing so. Doing so for the benefit of your neighbor and the praise of God is a fourth way — as if a good person were doing it.
Going Out from the Ark
The four modes of action are represented by four figures going out, culminating in the contrast between Noah who is granted the door and Ham who breaks it.
And so through the door we've depicted four animals going out: the unclean animal as a donkey, and the clean animal as an ox. The good person is Noah, and the evil person is Ham. To the good person God opens the door; the evil person, going out disobediently from the other side, breaks the doors.
Read the original Latin
Ostium autem arcae taliter disponimus. Quia enim columna Christum significat, qui dicit: Ego sum ostium, columna autem propter praedictas causas quasi bis, id est binis lateribus, in arca praesentata est, ideo in utroque latere columnae, id est in libro vitae ad aquilonem et ligno vitae ad austrum deorsum ostium pingimus, et tamen sicut unam columnam utroque latere, ita unum ostium utroque ostio figuramus. Ostium, quod est ad aquilonem, per librum vitae significat fidem, per quam ab infidelitate ingredimur in Ecclesiam, quod fit per humilitatem Christi, per quam revocati sumus, et hoc ostium clausum esse debet, ut amplius ad antiquos errores non revertamur. Ostium, quod est ad austrum, per lignum vitae significat transitum ab hac vita ad futuram gloriam, id est ad fructum ligni vitae. Et hoc ostium apertum est, quia illuc semper oculos mentis dirigere debemus, ut quam primum ab hac miseria exeamus. Aliud etiam quiddam per ostium figuramus. Quia enim ostium deorsum est, et fenestra sursum (quam posuimus supra compunctionem cum extenta manu et columba), ideo ostium congrue designare potest exitum per operationem, et fenestra exitum per cogitationem. Quatuor autem modis eximus per operationem.
Omnis namque actio vel terrena est vel spiritualis. Propter cupiditatem terrenis actibus inservire unus modus est, quasi immundum animal. Propter necessitatem eas disponere alius modus est, quasi mundum animal. Propte cupiditatem spirituales actiones tertius modus est suscipere, quasi id faciat malus homo. Propter utilitatem proximi, et laudem Dei, quartus modus est, quasi id bonus homo faciat. Ideo per ostium quatuor animalia exeuntia depinximus, immundum animal asinum, et mundum animal bovem. Bonum hominem Noe, et malum hominem Cham. Bono homini Deus ostium aperit, malus homo inobedienter exiens ex altera parte valvas frangit.
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.10.9 — I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and will find pasture.
- ↩Rev.22.2 — In the middle of the city's street, and on both sides of the river, stood the tree of life, producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
De Arca Noe Morali et Mystica (On the Moral and Mystical Ark of Noah) companion
Keep the ark under construction
Hugh's method only works with daily practice — the Chosen Portion app gives you a short, structured devotional every morning, free.
Hugh's daily discipline of ordered meditation continues in Chosen Portion, which serves one structured devotional portion each day so the mind returns to the same interior work Hugh prescribed.
- A 10-minute structured meditation delivered each morning
- Progress through classic texts like Hugh's in small daily portions
- Build a 30-day streak of ordered prayer instead of improvised moments