But how strange it was that the creative instinct should seize upon this dull stockbroker, to his own ruin, perhaps, and to the misfortune of such as were dependent on him; and yet no stranger than the way in which the spirit of God has seized men, powerful and rich, pursuing them with stubborn vigilance till at last, conquered, they have abandoned the joy of the world and the love of women for the painful austerities of the cloister. 

1）开头how引导的感叹句，以前通常是How strange it was！但是这里在was后又接了that the creative instinct...是什么语法成分？ 指that语法作用？

2）其次，such as were dependent on him, 以前似乎只看到such...as...分开用的结构，这里为什么such as连在一起使用了？such as连在一起使用是什么意思呢？

3）如何理解no stranger than = 应该是等于as familiar as的意思吗？和...一样熟悉的意思吗？那么the way in which怎么分析？另外，就是no stranger than修饰the way in which吗？

     麻烦老师分析一下and yet no stranger than the way in which the spirit of God has seized men 语法成分句法结构和句意，谢谢！