ap ular ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁accounts ▁of ▁Saint ▁Simon ' s ▁life ▁do ▁not ▁mention ▁him ▁having ▁a ▁vision . ▁The ▁first ▁such ▁reference ▁dates ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁July ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 2 5 1 ▁date ▁when ▁tradition ▁says ▁the ▁vision ▁occurred . ▁It ▁states ▁that ▁" St . ▁Simon ▁was ▁an ▁English man , ▁a ▁man ▁of ▁great ▁hol iness ▁and ▁dev otion , ▁who ▁always ▁in ▁his ▁pray ers ▁asked ▁the ▁Virgin ▁to ▁favour ▁his ▁Order ▁with ▁some ▁singular ▁privile ge . ▁The ▁Virgin ▁appeared ▁to ▁him ▁holding ▁the ▁Sc ap ular ▁in ▁her ▁hand . ▁In ▁its ▁original ▁context , ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁this ▁promise ▁was ▁that ▁Car mel ite ▁religious ▁who ▁per se ver ed ▁in ▁their ▁voc ation ▁would ▁be ▁saved . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Car mel ites ▁began ▁giving ▁the ▁Brown ▁Sc ap ular ▁to ▁lay ▁people ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁be ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁Order , ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁popular ▁as ▁a ▁religious ▁article . ▁ ▁Sch olar ly ▁investigation ▁into ▁historical ▁source ▁documents ▁has ▁raised ▁questions ▁about ▁whether ▁Saint ▁Simon ▁Stock ' s ▁vision ▁actually ▁happened , ▁or ▁if ▁this ▁tradition ▁about ▁him ▁arose ▁later , ▁perhaps ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁express ing ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁story , ▁the ▁strongly ▁held ▁Car mel ite ▁spiritual ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁favor ▁and ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁B less ed