Final answer:
Specific contemporary critics of the Inquisition records were not well-documented due to the risk of persecution, but internal and external criticism arose as the Church's strategies to enforce conformity became more overt and harsh, such as Martin Luther's later protests against Church practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the time, criticism of the Inquisition records and practices was not widely documented due to the fear of persecution. However, as challenges to Church authority grew more frequent, internal and external criticisms arose. The Inquisition, established by Pope Gregory IX, and later amplified by Pope Innocent IV's authorization of torture, aimed to enforce religious homogeneity throughout Western Europe. One notable critic of the papacy and its practices was Martin Luther in the 16th century; though he was not a contemporary critic during the Inquisition's establishment, his reforms and protests would later highlight the scarcity of direct criticism at the time. Critics questioned the moral and spiritual integrity of employing torture and execution to maintain religious conformity, especially when inquisitors benefited from seizing condemned individuals' property.
The Church felt increasingly threatened by emerging ideological and scientific challenges, demonstrated by the later doctrine of papal infallibility declared in 1868. The Inquisition's approach to dealing with heresy, which also led to the expulsion of Muslims and Jews during the Reconquista in Spain, showed a drastic shift from previous periods of religious tolerance.