The restraints of Christians saddened him simply because he was more hedonist than a healthy man should be.

The faith of Christians angered him because he was more pessimist than a healthy man should be.

In the same way the Malthusians by instinct attacked Christianity; not because there is anything especially anti-Malthusian about Christianity, but because there is something a little anti-human about Malthusianism.
Nevertheless it could not, I felt, be quite true that Christianity was merely sensible and stood in the middle.

There was really an element in it of emphasis and even frenzy which had justified the secularists in their superficial criticism.

It might be wise, I began more and more to think that it was wise, but it was not merely worldly wise; it was not merely temperate and respectable.