(2)So how do you define perspicuity when now we have to call fallible councils to tell us what the Bible says, knowing they may not be able to do so?
The important things of scripture are crystal clear...but God willed that everything in the bible is NOT totally or equally clear.
The wisdom from the unbeliever Mark Twain is true: “It’s not the things in the bible that I don’t understand that bother me, it’s the things that I do understand.”
We are not called to encapsulate all the mysteries of heaven in our finite brains—as mystery is the invitation to worship.
The gospel and ethics are extremely clear—which is why, when you look at denominations, (evangelical ones anyway) they are practically in 100% agreement on the good news of Christ, and, how we should live. Divisions are often caused by over-emphasizing less essential, and less clear points...making dogma of what should be dicta.
I think, especially in the post-scientific West, we really expect everything to be perfectly clear...before we commit to it...and that is just not the biblical model for faith.